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| The Science of Hurricanes and
Communications
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Max Mayfield was named director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration’s (NOAA) National Hurricane Center (NHC) in May
2000, where he oversees a team of hurricane forecasters, specialists
and technical personnel at the center's headquarters in Miami, FL.
When named director, Retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Jack Kelly, director
of the National Weather Service, said Mayfield possessed the unique
qualities vital to lead the center. “He knows every link in
the critical process of hurricane predictions. He understands the
science of hurricanes and the science of communicating the threat
of hurricanes, which will help communities in danger of a land-falling
storm take necessary safety precautions.”
Kelly added, “Max typifies the weather forecasters of our country
who work around the clock to keep people safe.”
Mayfield began his forecasting career with the Air Force in 1970 after
graduating from the University of Oklahoma with a degree in mathematics.
In 1972, he joined the National Weather Service as a satellite meteorologist
in Miami.
The Oklahoma native earned his master's degree in meteorology at Florida
State University in 1987, and then became a hurricane specialist.
Since 1988, Mayfield has written half of the Atlantic and Eastern
North Pacific annual hurricane summaries, published in Monthly Weather
Review and Weatherwise.
In 1996, Mayfield, a favorite among emergency managers in hurricane-prone
regions, was awarded the Francis W. Reichelderfer Award from the American
Meteorological Society for exemplary performance as coordinator of
the center's hurricane preparedness presentations to emergency managers
and the general public.
Mayfield’s goal is to help improve the warning lead times and
increase the center's understanding of the tracks and intensity of
hurricanes. |
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