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Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-06) today sent a letter to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Acting Administrator Laura Grimm requesting answers about the ongoing outage of All-Hazards Weather Radios in Southeast Michigan.

“These radios are a critical part of our public safety infrastructure, particularly for our rural and low-connectivity communities where internet and cellular based warnings may be inaccessible,” Dingell writes. “The failure of these radios, especially now during a period of severe weather threats, is a threat to many communities.”

“Timely and accessible alerts are lifesaving. We are in one of the most dangerous weeks of the year in Michigan,” Dingell continues. “A prolonged heat dome has increased the risk of heat-related illness, power outages, and storm activity. As of this month, Michigan has already confirmed its 29th tornado of the year, putting us on track for the highest number of tornadoes since 1991.”

“Reporting has highlighted significant challenges facing NOAA and NWS, including budget cuts and hiring freezes directed by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE),” Dingell concludes. “These constraints may have delayed radar upgrades, reduced forecasting capacity, and left critical positions unfilled, including at the NWS Detroit/Pontiac office. We must understand these impacts and communities need emergency systems that will work when in danger.”

Dingell requested answers to the following questions by the end of this week:

1. How long have these radios been offline in Southeast Michigan, and when is full service expected to be restored?
2. What are the specific causes of the current radio outages?
3. How have recent proposed budget cuts and streamlining efforts — including those directed by DOGE — affected NWS’s ability to prevent, respond to, and recover from outages, including this one?
4. What interim measures are in place to ensure communities continue to receive timely emergency alerts while the radios are offline?
5. How are NOAA and NWS communicating both the outage and available alternatives to the public, local emergency managers, and first responders?
6. What investments or operational changes are being made to prevent future outages and ensure redundancy in our national weather alert infrastructure?
7. What is the current staff vacancy rate at the NWS Detroit/Pontiac office? How has it affected operations and response times?
8. What concrete steps are NOAA and NWS taking to modernize, protect, and staff its critical communications systems to build long-term resilience, as extreme weather events become more frequent and severe?
9. What are NOAA and NWS’s plans to ensure uninterrupted public warning services in Michigan and across the country as we move further into peak severe weather season?

View the full text of the letter here.