NOAA announced today that Mike Brennan, Ph.D., has been selected to be the new Director of the Miami-based National Hurricane Center (NHC). His new post is effective today, replacing Jamie Rhome who served as Acting Director since Ken Graham’s departure in June 2022. Graham had left the National Hurricane Center to become Director of the National Weather Service.
“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. “Mike is an innovator who has built incredible relationships across the agency and with our emergency management and media partners, and I look forward to the great things ahead at NHC under his leadership.”
Brennan earned a Bachelor in Meteorology, and a Masters and Ph.D. in Atmospheric Science from North Carolina State University. Brennan is no stranger to the NHC. For the last year, Brennan served as the acting Deputy Director. Since 2018, Brennan has been the Branch Chief of the Hurricane Specialist Unit. During this period, he supervised one of NOAA’s highest profile operational forecast units through 18 U.S. landfalling hurricanes — including eight major hurricanes — and more than 20 U.S. tropical storm landfalls. All in, Brennan has spent 15 years working at the NHC.
“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.”
“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.”
“I would like to thank Jamie Rhome for his steady leadership as the acting NHC director through 14 named storms of the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season, including the newly retired hurricanes Ian and Fiona,” added Graham. Rhome will return to his role of Deputy Director of the National Hurricane Center.
