Dr. Mike Brennan named new director of National Hurricane Center

Cheryl McCloud, USA TODAY
·2 min read
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Dr. Mike Brennan has been named the new director of NOAA's National Hurricane Center (NHC) n Miami.

He takes over his new role immediately, according to a release from NOAA.

Monday's announcement comes less than eight weeks before the start of the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 through Nov. 30.

“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 Rick Spinrad, Ph.D., NOAA administrator.

“Alongside our trusted and dedicated team at NHC, Mike will continue to leverage vital partnerships to provide the best forecasts and build resilience to the impacts of hurricanes in U.S. communities.”

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Mike Brennan, then-branch chief at the National Hurricane Center, gives an update on Hurricane Harvey as it moves toward the Texas coast, Aug. 25, 2017, in Miami. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration named Brennan as the new director of the National Hurricane Center in Miami.
Mike Brennan, then-branch chief at the National Hurricane Center, gives an update on Hurricane Harvey as it moves toward the Texas coast, Aug. 25, 2017, in Miami. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration named Brennan as the new director of the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

A 15-year career

Brennan has spent nearly all of his 15-year NOAA career at the hurricane center. For the past year, he has served as the acting NHC deputy director.

Since 2018, Brennan has been the branch chief of the Hurricane Specialist Unit, which provides forecasts and warnings for the public.

Over the past five years, those forecasts covered 18 hurricanes, eight major hurricanes, and  20 tropical storms that made landfall in the U.S., including Hurricane Ian, which devastated Southwest Florida six months ago.

Brennan began his career with the National Hurricane Center in 2008 as a senior hurricane specialist, serving for 10 years, following a year as the science and operations officer for the Weather Prediction Center.

“I had the pleasure of working with Mike for four years at NHC, where I observed his steadfast dedication to the mission of saving lives and property,” said Ken Graham, former NHC director and now director of NOAA’s National Weather Service.

Michael Brennan was named the new director of the National Hurricane Center effective April 10, 2023.
Michael Brennan was named the new director of the National Hurricane Center effective April 10, 2023.

'Honored' and 'humbled'

“Mike is an innovator who has built incredible relationships across the agency and with our emergency management and media partners. I look forward to the great things ahead at NHC under his leadership."

“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.”

Within the U.S. Department of Commerce, the National Hurricane Center is a division of NOAA and the National Weather Service’s National Centers for Environmental Prediction.

Brennan earned a bachelor's degree in meteorology, and a master's and doctorate degrees in atmospheric science, all from North Carolina State University.

The National Hurricane Center is located with the National Weather Service Miami-South Florida forecast office on the campus of Florida International University.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dr. Mike Brennan named new director of National Hurricane Center