Max Mayfield
Director, Tropical Prediction Center
National Hurricane Center
What do you like best about your work?
I believe that by predicting and communicating hurricane threats, the National Hurricane Center helps save lives.
Growing up in Oklahoma, I was always intrigued by severe weather. Lightning, hail, strong winds, heavy rains, and tornadoes not only got my attention, but also made me wonder how meteorologists made forecasts of such hazardous weather.
During college I became interested in hurricanes. At the time, computer models had limited use in the tropics and there was a lot of room for improvement. I was fortunate enough to get a job at the National Hurricane Center in 1972 and have been here ever since. At the Tropical Prediction Center, I help communicate hurricane threats to the local, state, and federal levels. During hurricane season, you might see me on national television providing information about upcoming hurricanes. I also helped to develop a CD on hurricanes that is used to train emergency managers.
Web Links
To learn more about my work, visit the Web site:
