A new face on TV this storm season. Meet the director of the National Hurricane Center

Alex Harris
Updated ·1 min read
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Storm watchers, meaning just about everyone in Florida, will recognize a new face leading briefings from the National Hurricane Center this coming season: It’ll be the new director, Mike Brennan.

Brennan, a 15-year veteran of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, officially took the helm of the hurricane center on Monday.

For the last five years, Brennan has served as the branch chief for the center’s hurricane specialist unit, which writes public forecasts and warnings. Before that, he spent a decade as a senior hurricane specialist for the center.

He has a bachelor’s in meteorology and a Master’s and Ph.D in atmospheric science from North Carolina State University.

Mike Brennan, Ph.D., becomes the 12th director of NOAA’s National Hurricane Center.
Mike Brennan, Ph.D., becomes the 12th director of NOAA’s National Hurricane Center.

“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,” Brennan said in a statement.

The former director of the NHC, Ken Graham, now serves as the director of NOAA’s National Weather Service. After he left his post in July last year, deputy director Jamie Rhome took over as acting director. Rhome was the face of the hurricane center when Hurricane Ian and Hurricane Nicole struck the U.S. last fall. He will now return to his role as deputy director.

Hurricane season begins June 1, and the center starts issuing daily forecasts on May 15.

One hurricane forecast to extend to seven days. More time for Florida to watch — and worry