Most USGS services closed due to US shutdown

Screengrab of the homepage the USGS website

MANILA, Philippines—Most associated websites of the US Geological Survey (USGS) have been shut down as funding for much of the United States government was cut off Tuesday.

“Due to the Federal government shutdown, usgs.gov and most associated web sites are unavailable,” says a notice on the homepage of the USGS. “Only web sites necessary to protect lives and property will be maintained.”

The US agency said that while monitoring and reporting of earthquakes would continue, its reporting could be hampered by the streamlined operation “due to a lapse in Federal funding.”

“While the USGS will continue to monitor and report on earthquake activity, the accuracy or timeliness of some earthquake information products, as well as the availability or functionality of some web pages, could be affected by our reduced level of operation,” it said.

Even media groups outside the United States, like INQUIRER.net, rely on the USGS for global earthquake reporting.

Washington on Tuesday ordered federal agencies to close down after the US Congress failed to reach a federal budget deal amid bitter brinkmanship.

Nearly a third of the federal workforce — some 800,000 employees — was forced off the job, closing down services from informational websites to national parks. People classified as essential employees — such as air traffic controllers, Border Patrol agents and most food inspectors — continued to work. With Associated Press