A veteran meteorologist who helped lead Hurricane Katrina recovery efforts and oversaw the National Hurricane Center during an onslaught of record-breaking storm activity in 2020 will now take the helm of the National Weather Service, the agency announced Tuesday. Ken Graham, the four-year director of the National Hurricane Center, will begin his tenure as NWS director effective immediately.
“Ken has the scientific integrity, trusted leadership and communication prowess,” Rick Spinrad, head of the NWS’ parent agency the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), said in announcing Graham’s appointment during a press conference in Washington, D.C. “I have full confidence that [Graham] will help create a more weather-and-climate-ready nation amid more extreme weather fueled by our changing climate.” Graham, a 27-year weather veteran, succeeds winter storm expert Louis Uccellini, who retired on January 1 after leading the NWS for eight years.
The NWS noted that Graham brings “a vast amount of operational field experience” to the administrative role. Graham, a native of Phoenix, worked his way up through the ranks at NWS, starting as an intern meteorologist in 1994 at the New Orleans/Baton Rouge weather forecast office, where he eventually became the meteorologist in charge, a role he assumed for 10 years. Later, as the systems operational chief at the NWS office in Fort Worth, Texas, he led recovery efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Graham also has headed NWS offices in Silver Spring, Maryland; Birmingham, Alabama; and Corpus Christi, Texas. He also was a television meteorologist in Mississippi.
His last two years, in particular, as national hurricane director have been daunting, with powerful storms. “I hate to say the word routine, but they became so frequent that we just sprung back into action,” Graham said in a May interview. “Almost 28 years in the weather service, I’ve seen a lot of damage. A lot of people lose everything, a lot of loss of life.” Weather, climate and water disasters cause about 650 deaths a year and cause about $15 billion in damage annually, according to NOAA. The weather service has about 4,900 employees and 144 offices.
Graham’s a “fantastic choice” to lead the agency, Neil Jacobs, who served as NOAA’s acting administrator under former President Donald Trump, told The Washington Post. “From working as a forecaster in the field to advancing [the Hurricane Center’s] mission over multiple challenging seasons, Ken has the perfect balance of leadership skills, operational experience, and support of the Emergency Management community.”
On the NWS Twitter page, Graham posted, “I am so humbled, honored, and excited to be the new Director of the National Weather Service! I commit to support our incredibly dedicated workforce & serve our emergency management, media, & public & private sector partners. Follow me as we go through this journey together.”
Jamie Rhome, deputy director of the National Hurricane Center, has been named acting director of the NHC until a permanent administrator is appointed, according to NWS officials.
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