AP

Former federal officials and outside experts have warned for months that President Donald Trumpòòò½ÊÓÆµ™s staffing cuts to the National Weather Service could endanger lives. After torrential rains and flash flooding struck Friday in the Texas Hill Country, the weather service came under fire from local officials who criticized what they described as inadequate forecasts. Democrats wasted little time linking staff reductions to the disaster, which is being blamed for the deaths of at least 80 people. Former federal officials and experts have said Trumpòòò½ÊÓÆµ™s indiscriminate job reductions at NWS and other weather-related agencies will result in brain drain that threatens the governmentòòò½ÊÓÆµ™s ability to issue timely and accurate forecasts. Trump said job cuts did not hamper weather forecasts.