To the Editor:

New York members of Congress should fight to keep the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration funded.

As an old New Yorker living at the base of the Helderberg escarpment at the end of a long driveway, I have experienced firsthand how important accurate weather data is. When there is heavy snow or rain, I may not be able to get out to the road and need to plan ahead to protect myself and minimize damage.

This, of course, is small potatoes compared to what happens in New York City if there is unanticipated flooding.

Yet the Trump administration is gutting the agency, threatening the science that keeps us safe. NOAA has provided free, reliable, weather forecasts for 55 years, helping communities prepare for hurricanes, heat waves and rising sea levels.

But now, its work is being politicized. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick promised not to dismantle NOAA, but mass layoffs show otherwise.

We cannot hide our heads in the sand like ostriches to avoid hearing the uncomfortable truth that scientists tell us about climate change.

Margaret Craven, M.D.

New Scotland