Are you experiencing extreme weather more? Do NWS cuts worry you? Take our poll. | Opinion

Severe. Extreme. Unprecedented. More and more, these words seem a routine part of our forecast rather than rare weather events they once described.

It’s been four days since the Guadalupe River reached an unprecedented 29 feet, one of the many overflowing waterways in central Texas that devastated the area with severe flooding, sweeping away homes and neighbors as they slept. The death toll has reached 95 people as of July 7, Monday, with 10 campers and one counselor from Camp Mystic in Kerry County still unaccounted for. Thunderstorms and heavy rain continue to batter the region, hampering search efforts and increasing the risk of flash floods.

Tropical Depression Chantal has brought severe flooding to North Carolina as it makes its way up the eastern United States, bringing more flood warnings with it. Severe thunderstorms are forecast for parts of the Great Plains and Midwest into Monday evening, while extreme heat is expected to bear down on the Southwest beginning July 8, Tuesday.

A USA TODAY/Ipsos Poll conducted in mid-June found a majority of Americans (58%) fear this extreme weather is getting worse – and will continue to be in the near future. Thirty percent of respondents said they have personally experienced extreme weather events in the previous month – with many citing severe thunderstorms and heavy rainfall, much like those that triggered the rapid flooding in central Texas. (Have you endured severe weather recently? Scroll down to tell us about it.)

And yet, as climate change ravages the country, the Trump administration has made cuts to the very departments Americans rely on: the National Weather Service, the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Who are we supposed to turn to for trusted weather warnings that can save lives, and aid that can help us pick up the pieces when disaster inevitably strikes?

What's the weather like where you live? Are you worried about NWS cuts?

This spring, the NWS lost nearly 15% of its workforce – approximately 600 people – due to Trump administration layoffs and early retirement packages, The New York Times reported. NWS offices are understaffed with critical roles unfilled. Furthermore, the Trump administration is proposing massive cuts to the NOAA – the parent agency of NWS – further hamstringing funding and eliminating programs that do crucial climate research. And on top of all that, the president has said he wants to get rid of FEMA altogether.

I don’t know about you, but as weather events throughout the United States become more catastrophic, none of this makes me feel safer. Or better prepared to weather these storms.

How do you feel? Are you concerned about the accuracy of the National Weather Service or how cuts will impact your forecasts and warnings? Is the weather becoming more extreme where you live? How do you think we should handle it? Are you concerned about the impact of climate change – and do you think there’s anything we can do to change it? 

Take our poll below. USA TODAY Opinion may use your responses in an upcoming column.

Janessa Hilliard is the director of audience for USA TODAY Opinion and Opinion at Gannett.