WILMINGTON, Ohio — Two critical leadership positions at the National Weather Service (NWS) office in Wilmington, Ohio, remain vacant as the region braces for the peak of severe weather season, according to NWS documents.
The meteorologist in charge (MIC) and science operations officer (SOO) roles at the Wilmington office, which serves parts of Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky, are currently unfilled, per a staffing document updated May 5. The MIC position has been vacant since late February, according to a LinkedIn post from the office’s former MIC.
The MIC serves as the office’s leader, ensuring operational readiness for the 24/7/365 facility and acting as a liaison with local communities and government agencies, a former NWS official said. The SOO is responsible for staff training on advanced technology and fostering ties with research institutions, the official added.
In the absence of an MIC, another NWS employee typically assumes the role temporarily. The vacancies coincide with what former NWS directors, in a May 2 letter, described as the busiest period for severe weather forecasting.
The Trump administration’s 2026 budget proposal includes a roughly 30% funding cut to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the NWS’s parent agency. All five living former NWS directors signed a letter opposing the cuts, warning they could result in “needless loss of life” and force some forecast offices to operate part-time.
Since January, over 10% of the NWS workforce has left due to firings, layoffs, buyouts, and voluntary departures, according to the former directors’ letter. NOAA declined to comment on whether these cuts contributed to the Wilmington vacancies, with public affairs specialist Erica Cei stating the agency does not discuss internal personnel matters.