Was Kentucky unwarned ahead of the May 16, 2025 tornado that killed more than 20 people in the southeastern part of the state? No, that's not true: The National Weather Service issued warnings two days ahead. Multiple state officials, including Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear, have said there's no evidence the National Weather Service tornado warnings were delayed or deficient. A National Weather Service spokesperson said its Jackson, Kentucky office, which is not always staffed at night, due to Trump budget cuts, was fully staffed overnight ahead of the storm, using crews from neighboring offices.
The claim appeared in a May 17, 2025 X.com post (archived here) on the @PrincessBravato account on May 17, 2025, under the title "Let's call this what it is ... " It opened:
20 people are dead because they weren't warned because Trump cut the funding for not only NWS but for FEMA in a republican state. So they are dead due to trumps cruel policies.
Here's what the claim looked like on X at the time this fact check was written:
As early as May 14, National Weather Service alerts (archived here) from the Jackson office, warned southeastern Kentucky residents tornadoes could strike:
(Source: X.com screenshot by Lead Stories.)
Even a critic of President Trump like Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear said there's no truth to the claim that the death toll was made worse by Trump budget cuts to the National Weather Service.
At a videotaped news conference the day after the tornado, posted to Facebook (archived here) by WLEX TV in Lexington, Beshear said there was no shortage of warnings and information ahead of the storm. Starting about timecode 36:00 of the Facebook video, he said:
This was a devastatingly strong tornado that tore through a subdivision in the middle of the night. We had a National Weather Service report that we were going to see severe weather. We knew that this was a possibility, but it hit late; unfortunately it hit really late at night.
While I have big concerns with cuts to the National Weather Service, I don't see evidence that it impacted this one ... I have no criticisms of their operations on the ground and that's coming from a guy that's had disagreements with this president.
Erica Grow Cei, a spokesperson for the National Weather Service (NWS), directed readers to the Jackson office's X account, where NWS posted dozens of tornado warnings ahead of the storm. While it's true that the Jackson office, like many in the National Weather Service, is operating with less staff than it used to, the coming storm prompted NWS to shift crews to ensure round-the-clock coverage there:
The National Weather Service offices in Louisville, Jackson and Paducah provided forecast information, timely warnings and decision support in the days and hours leading up to the severe weather on May 16. Information was conveyed to the public through multiple routine means, including official products, social media, and NOAA Weather Radio, as well as to partners through advance conference calls and webinars.
As planned in advance, neighboring offices provided staffing support to the office in Jackson, KY. Additionally, the Jackson office remained fully staffed through the duration of the event using surge staffing. Weather forecast offices in the Central Region continue to evaluate storm damage and other impacts from this tragic event.
Readers will find more Lead Stories fact checks about the National Weather Service here.
