BROWNSVILLE – National Weather Service centers across the U.S. are dealing with a staffing shortage.

CHANNEL 5 NEWS reported how the shortage was impacting the Brownsville office.

Meteorologist Barry Goldsmith said he wasn’t able to take pictures of recent storm damage due to a lack of staff.

The local NWS office currently has two openings for full-time meteorologist.

Government Accountability Office director of natural resources and environment issues Anne-Marie Fennell said locations across the country are also in need of professionals.

“Vacancies are increasing across the National Weather Service offices. In 2010, the vacancy rate across the offices was about five percent,” she said.

Fennell said the vacancy rate has risen to 11 percent. She added people are leaving the agency faster than they’re being hired.

“Complicating matters is that the hiring shop for the agency has been experiencing its own attribution and has been understaffed,” she said.

She said managers and other staff members within the NWS are still able to monitor the changing weather as they work to keep the public safe.

Goldsmith said the Brownsville crew is also able to keep up with forecast and weather warning despite their shortage.

He said they are hopeful to fill at least one of the two spots before the end of the year.