NOAA announced this week that the agency has selected Mike Brennan as the new director of the National Hurricane Center.

Brennan has ties to North Carolina, as he earned a Bachelor in Meteorology and a Masters and Ph.D. in Atmospheric Science from North Carolina State University in Raleigh.

What You Need To Know

  • Brennan has worked at the National Hurricane Center since 2008

  • The Deputy Director of the NHC is also a graduate of N.C. State

  • The Atlantic hurricane season officially begins in June

“The NHC director is one of the most visible and important jobs in the nation, and Mike possesses the right combination of experience, leadership and personal traits to prepare and guide us through major storms,” said NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad.

Brennan began his career at the National Hurricane Center in 2008 working as a senior hurricane specialist. Ten years later he became the branch chief of the Hurricane Specialist Unit. Last year, he served as the acting deputy director.

“I am honored and humbled to work with the talented staff at the National Hurricane Center at a time when we are making exciting advancements in hurricane forecasts and developing new decision support tools to improve community resilience to powerful hurricanes and tropical storms,” said Brennan. “Along with our colleagues across the National Weather Service and NOAA, we’re working to improve community safety through clear communication on the various hazards posed by these storms.” 

In his new role, he replaces Ken Graham, who became the director of the National Weather Service in June 2022.

During last year's hurricane season, another N.C. State graduate, Jamie Rhome, served as the acting director of the National Hurricane Center. Rhome will now resume his duties as the deputy director.

NOAA says the mission of the National Hurricane Center is to save lives, mitigate property loss, and improve economic efficiency by issuing the best watches, warnings, forecasts, and analysis of hazardous tropical weather and by increasing understanding of these hazards. 

It is located on the campus of Florida International University in Miami.

While storms can form outside of hurricane season, the Atlantic season officially begins in June and runs through November.

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