Nebraska eliminates climate research department as extreme weather threatens farmers

The University of Nebraska has shut down its Earth and Atmospheric Sciences Department, eliminating the state’s only program training meteorologists and geologists just as extreme weather events intensify across the region. The decision, driven by a $21 million budget deficit, will save $1.85 million but has sparked alarm among scientists, farmers, and weather professionals who warn of devastating long-term consequences.

For Nebraska farmers like Quentin Connealy, whose family has worked the land for 131 years, the timing couldn’t be worse. His operation has endured four major floods since 2011, multiple hail storms, and increasingly unpredictable weather patterns that have damaged 20% of his crops in recent years. “The weather’s so unpredictable, we need as many resources around as possible,” Connealy said, emphasizing his reliance on local scientific expertise for farming decisions.

The eliminated department was Nebraska’s pipeline for homegrown weather forecasters, groundwater specialists, and climate researchers who understood the state’s unique environmental challenges. Alumni currently lead Nebraska’s Climate Office, Drought Mitigation Center, and other critical agencies. Faculty conducted internationally recognized research, from storm-chasing projects that informed the movie “Twisters” to Antarctic ice sheet studies. With Nebraska experiencing 36 billion-dollar weather disasters since 2005—compared to just four in the previous two decades—and temperatures rising 2.3 degrees since 1970, experts argue the state is eliminating expertise precisely when it’s needed most. The closure leaves Nebraska dependent on out-of-state contractors lacking crucial local knowledge about the state’s weather patterns and agricultural needs.