Say those who have been there, all available evidence suggests that whoever was behind the wave of cuts at National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Weather Service has never worked in a forecast office during a severe-thunderstorm or tornado outbreak.

Lives are being put in danger,” one meteorologist warned, as some experts feared the cuts will harm public safety.

Between resignations, firings and paperwork errors, at least 23 of the roughly 200 people in the Weather Service’s Alaska offices are no longer with the agency, a union source said.