The White House vs NOAA over Alabama Hurricane Dorian flap

Inconsistent messaging about Hurricane Dorian and the risk to the state of Alabama has prompted an investigation, FOX Business has learned.

The Department of Commerce’s Office of Inspector General is investigating the circumstances surrounding the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) statement last Friday disavowing the weather agency's earlier position that Alabama was not at risk from Hurricane Dorian, according to a memo obtained exclusively by FOX Business.

The Alabama flap came after President Trump tweeted that the state would be hit “harder than anticipated,” while the National Weather Service in Birmingham, Alabama tweeted a short time later that “Alabama will NOT see any impacts from Dorian.”

In the following days, the president continued to insist that Alabama had been at risk and on Wednesday showed a map that appeared to have been altered with a Sharpie marker to show the state in the storm’s path.

Last Friday, NOAA sent out a statement disavowing its own National Weather Service’s position that Alabama had not been at risk, backing Trump’s warning.

The memo, sent Saturday by Commerce’s OIG, ordered NOAA to preserve and hand over documents for all communications related to the statement, as well as descriptions of calls, meetings or other oral communications. In the memo, the OIG told Dr. Neil Jacobs, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Environmental Observation and Prediction wrote, “Recent reports of inconsistent messaging culminating in an unattributed press release surrounding information related to Hurricane Dorian call into question the NWS’s processes, scientific independence, and ability to communicate accurate and timely weather warnings and data to the nation in times of national emergency.”

The Commerce Department declined FOX Business’ request for comment. NOAA did not respond at the time of publication. The OIG does not comment on open matters under review.

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The New York Times reported on Monday that Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross threatened to fire top employees at NOAA after the agency contradicted Trump’s claim that Hurricane Dorian might hit Alabama. A Commerce Department spokesperson denies that report, telling Fox News, "The New York Times story is false. Secretary Ross did not threaten to fire any NOAA staff over forecasting and public statements about Hurricane Dorian."

The Washington Post reported Monday that NOAA’s acting chief scientist sent an email to colleagues saying he is investigating whether the agency’s response to Trump’s Hurricane Dorian tweet constituted a violation of NOAA policies and ethics, calling the statement issued Friday “political” and a “danger to public health and safety.”

That investigation is separate from the OIG investigation.