Bill Read to retire as director of the National Hurricane Center
Bill Read, the director of the National Hurricane Center (NHC) since 2008, announced Saturday that he will be retiring on June 1, ending four and one-half years as the nation's most visible meteorologist. Read took the post of NHC director after Bill Proenza stepped down following a stormy six-month tenure where much of staff revolted against him. In the wake of the turmoil stirred up by Proenza, Read brought stability to the Hurricane Center. Conversations I've had with staff at NHC indicated that Read was an excellent manager of people, and was well-respected among his employees. His management ability, easy-going style, and solid communication skills made Read an excellent choice for director of NHC, and he will be missed. “I will have been in charge just shy of four and a half years on June 1,” Read wrote in a letter to hurricane center staff . “I had no idea I would ever be considered for such an honor. It’s been quite a ride and I’m blessed to hit the exit ramp in my career after working with you all.”
Previously, Read served as director of Houston's National Weather Service office, a post he took in 1992. Read was called in to work at NHC three times between 1992 and 2005 to help out with hurricane emergencies. Prior to his job in Houston, Read served in the U.S. Navy, where his duties included an assignment as an on-board meteorologist with the Hurricane Hunters. He began his career in 1977 with the National Weather Service test and evaluation division in Sterling, VA.
Figure 1. Bill Read at the National Hurricane Center forecast desk. Image credit: NOAA.
National Hurricane Center Directors:
Gordon Dunn, 1965 - 1967
Robert Simpson, 1967 - 1973
Neil Frank, 1973 - 1987
Bob Sheets, 1987 - 1995
Robert Burpee, 1995 - 1997
Jerry Jarrell, 1998 - 2000
Max Mayfield, 2000 - 2007
Bill Proenza, January - July, 2007
Ed Rappaport (interim), July 2007 - January 2008
Bill Read, 2008 - 2012
Who will the next director of NHC be?
The retirement of Bill Read means that a search for NHC's eleventh director must be complete before hurricane season arrives. While I haven't had time to ask them if they are interested, here are four candidates who would make excellent directors of NHC:
Dr. Ed Rappaport, Deputy Director of NHC since 2000. Dr. Rappaport served as interim director of NHC during the hurricane season of 2007, and did a great job. He did not want to be the permanent director, though, and it is uncertain if would want the position now. In a Q and A interview posted on the NHC web site last year, Dr. Rappaport said, "The responsibilities are immense and, to date, the circumstances have not been right for me to be the director full time. But I will consider it the next time the opportunity arises. For such a critical position, one which has such important responsibilities, great visibility, many challenges and the long periods of travel, everything has to be aligned right within your professional and personal life to make the commitment that is required to do the job well." I have to believe that if he wants the job, the next director of NHC will be Ed Rappaport.
James Franklin, Branch Chief of the NHC Hurricane Specialists Unit. Since 2008, Franklin has been responsible for the quality of hurricane forecasts coming out of NHC, a tough, high-pressure job that he has handled remarkably well. Before arriving at NHC, Mr. Franklin worked as a hurricane research scientist for NOAA's Hurricane Research Division.
Dr. Chris Landsea, NHC Science and Operations Officer since 2005. Between 1995 - 2004, Dr. Landsea worked as a hurricane research scientist for NOAA's Hurricane Research Division. Dr. Landsea has testified in front of Congress several times on the issue of hurricanes and global warming, and has excellent public communication skills.
Dr. Rick Knabb, tropical weather expert for the Weather Channel. Dr. Knabb served as a senior hurricane specialist at NHC from 2005 - 2008, then took a position as deputy director and director of operations of the Central Pacific Hurricane Center (CPHC) and NWS Forecast Office in Honolulu, Hawaii. In 2010, he joined the Weather Channel.
Jeff Masters
Reader Comments
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Considering I'm one of those people who tends to finding silver linings in anything ordinarily deemed "bad", but can't with Walmart...
Well, extrapolate from that.
Understood. No need to say more.
Thought of serving? GI bill has some good bennies.
I've considered military positions pertaining to my real interest (meteorology). Still am, actually.
Despite what some of his friends might think when they talk to me, I have no interest in repeating his mistake.
As long as I remain in control, I will extricate myself from the snare that is Walmart. I'm probably going to try applying for more jobs in a couple of months, actually.
Thanks!
When I started college I wanted to be a park ranger. I went ROTC to help pay for school and stuck with it. The early 90s recession was not as bad as today. But not pleasant to graduate into. Budget cuts meant no one was hiring rangers in 1992. After 3-4 years and OCS I stuck with it.
Well I'm glad you found something you enjoy.
Given your training, I bet you could kick my ass in a fight. Remind me not to get on your bad side. ;)
Real men don't need weapons. If you're as skilled as you say, then try melee combat.
A detailed description of that and its consequences would probably get us banned.
The XM25 is our first cybergun in a way. Each bullet or grenade is programmed. They have little computers inside them.
Think BLU-82.
Somebody will ask why we don't bomb hurricanes or tornadoes with that. I'm sure they already have.
Sounds nifty.
A weapon is still a weapon!
Tropical Cyclone Advisory #1
ZONE PERTURBEE 07-20112012
10:00 AM RET January 18 2012
=======================================
At 6:00 AM UTC, Area of disturbed weather 07R (1001 hPa) located at 12.9S 70.7E has 10 minute sustained winds of 20 knots with gusts of 35 knots. The disturbance is reported as moving west southwest at 11 knots.
Dvorak Intensity: T1.5/1.5/D0.5/12 HRS
Forecast and Intensity
=======================
12 HRS: 14.5S 68.3E - 25 knots (Perturbation Tropicale)
24 HRS: 16.0S 66.7E - 30 knots (Depression Tropicale)
48 HRS: 18.5S 64.3E - 50 knots (Forte Tempête Tropicale)
72 HRS: 20.6S 62.6E - 60 knots (Forte Tempête Tropicale)
Additional Information
======================
Deep convective activity has consolidated near the center within the last 24 hours. The low is on the northern edge of the high level ridge and in relationship with its own west-south-westwards motion, is only slightly constrained by the moderate easterly vertical wind shear existing over the area. Most available numerical weather prediction models are in good agreement to forecast a southwestwards track over the next 3 days then a southwards re-curving motion. Within the next 60 hours, environment remains favorable for further development.
Low level equatorward inflow remains very good. Poleward inflow is expected to weaken within the 19 in relationship with a weakening in the subtropical belt but should improve again after that. In the upper levels, system takes currently benefit from 2 good outflow channels. The equatorward one is expected to progressively dissipate within the next 12 to 24 hours but the poleward one should improve day after day. Vertical easterly wind shear remains weak to moderate within the next 30 hours.
CURRENT INTENSITY DOES NOT JUSTIFY ISSUANCE OF REGULAR WARNINGS.
Lunchtime? Where are you stationed, exactly?
But then, what isn't?
Good point.
Easy answer, Hurricanes as so immense in size that a bomb would do very little.
Who does everyone think should take over from Bill Read?
Boing Boing:
Google:
Wikipedia:
Some more will be going dark over the coming hours.
Pardon?
Joe Bastardi
Gotta admit..It'd be interesting. LOL!
oohhhhh yeeeeaaaahhhh. lol.
The Mayor of Moree Plains Shire Council, Katrina Humphries, says flood damage to roads and bridges has reached $30 million.
The damage has occurred over the past 12 weeks.
Councillor Humphries says council engineers have been working with New South Wales Government assessors since floodwaters started to recede.
She says the $30 million will not be received in a lump sum but will be reimbursed as council submits each repair bill.
"We just keep putting in bills and just keep fixing things and they keep paying us," she said.
"We've got some very good contractors and things out here and they'll all gear up and meet the mark and we'll go forward from there but ... first of all it's got to stop raining.
"Just about every road has got damage on it because the force of the water and the speed of the water was huge."
Cr Humphries says it could be a couple of years before all road and bridge repairs in the local government area can be completed.
"We haven't been able to assess all our roads but we're heading towards $30 million," she said.
"Just about every road has got damage on it because the water was huge and the force of the water and the speed of the water was huge and was just so eroding.
"As the water started going down they started assessing. They've been here since day one."
Meanwhile, Gwydir Shire Council Mayor John Coulton says the weekend rain that impacted North Star, Crooble and Croppa Creek, will add to council's damage bill.
He says a draft assessment puts road and bridge damage in the shire at more than $3 million.
Cr Coulton says no-one wants to complain about rain after 10 years of drought but the present situation of escalating repair costs is hard to deal with.
© ABC 2012
Heavy rainfall continues to inundate southeast QLD and northeast NSW, with much more on the horizon.
Following Sunday's 40-100mm totals from Wide Bay to the Gold Coast, Monday witnessed an intensification of the rain with widespread 60-140mm falls. The heaviest rain has been focused about the Sunshine Coast and the Glasshouse Mountain range, with a gauge there measuring 139mm to 9am this morning. The rain was less intense over the Brisbane basin, with most suburbs collecting 25-50mm.
The Northern Rivers of NSW also copped it, particularly on the ranges near the QLD border where 24hr totals exceeded 100mm. On the coast Kings Cliff recorded 42mm and Evans Head 31mm. On the Mid North Coast Dorrigo had 57mm and Bellingen 64mm, which is now swelling the Bellinger river.
The heavy rain is resulting in numerous weather warnings. A severe weather warning is in force over southeast QLD for damaging winds, flooding rain and dangerous surf due to a developing low pressure trough. The intense two-day rain has resulted in flood warnings for river systems between Noosa and Caboolture and a flood watch for the Bellinger and Orara rivers.
Looking ahead, the flooding rain is set to continue, with potentially another 100-200mm falling over the next three days for some locations and widespread falls of 50-100mm highly likely. With the ground already saturated, this will produce lots of water run-off, posing a serious risk to people and property depending upon the exact location and intensity of the heaviest falls.
© Weatherzone 2012
A simplified but relevant example: suppose a WU member embeds a link to a movie clip in one of the forums here, as happens fairly often. The movie studio that owns that clip could go to a judge and demand that WU be taken down for copyright infringement. The judge, under SOPA/PIPA, would have no choice but to order ISPs (Comcast, etc.) to disallow traffic to and from WU.
(Conversely, that movie studio could simply demand that the judge forbid ad networks from doing business with WU. Thus deprived of income, the site would be effectively killed.)
Furthermore, anyone using common network tools intended to protect their privacy and evade online spying--Tor, VPNs, etc.--would conceivably be in criminal violation of SOPA/PIPA, and could be prosecuted.
Now, some would claim the above example is far-fetched, that no judge would do such a thing. And they're probably right; the bills are intended to prevent well-known piracy sites from stealing content. But what's concerning is that both SOPA and PIPA go to far by granting certain parties the unilateral right to do so much more than that. (Or to put it another way: they're not just throwing the baby out with the bathwater; they're throwing out the tub, then stripping all the plumbing and tossing that out, too.)
(And note that this isn't a partisan issue at all; the bills' sponsors and opponents come from both sides of the aisle.)
Please write your representative today.
"Combined seas build near 25 to 30 feet by Wednesday morning, highest in the coastal waters 10-60 nm offshore. Wind gusts up to 90 mph are also expected Wednesday and Thursday, with the strongest gusts and highest seas along the central Oregon coast Wednesday morning and afternoon. Gusts near 60 to 70 mph, and near 75 to 85 mph along beaches and headlands are possible. Surf zone becomes increasingly dangerous especially due to strong currents associated with large tidal swing. This is an extremely dangerous storm! Please take necessary precautions: secure loose objects, and beachgoers use caution when along the beach."
There's also a "hurricane-force wind warning" in effect for much of the Oregon coast.
I should have included more examples. These types of clouds have appeared in many parts of the world before major earthquakes in Indonesia, Sichuan, Haiti and Chile, Mexico and Japan. Look up some of the videos. Plus check out the thermal images before the Japan earthquake.
Link
These bills have been wildly unpopular since their inception, and yet they have still made it this far.
We have the best representatives money can buy, and legislation like SOPA and PIPA is the cold hard proof of that fact. Regardless of the parade of experts and tech giants that have gone before congress explaining in great detail how bad these bills are, they still move forward, pushed by the parasites who created them.
These bills are an example of the corruption we should come to expect since SCOTUS effectively gave the wealthy and corporations blank checks for buying politicians. No one in congress could honestly look at these pieces of legislative fecal matter and think they would be for the good of the country, especially when pretty much everyone is telling them that they aren't.
Go ahead and write your congresspeople. But don't think it will change anything. Votes aren't tallied by the paper in the ballot box, but by the dollars in the bill counter. If you want to get their attention, write a bigger check than the other guy.
Yes I'm cynical. Then again, congress really hasn't given me much reason to be otherwise.
Tropical Cyclone Advisory #2
PERTURBATION TROPICALE 07-20112012
16:00 PM RET January 18 2012
=======================================
At 12:00 PM UTC, Tropical Disturbance 07R (1000 hPa) located at 13.1S 69.9E has 10 minute sustained winds of 25 knots with gusts of 40 knots. The disturbance is reported as moving west southwest at 13 knots.
Dvorak Intensity: T2.0/2.0/D1.0/24 HRS
Forecast and Intensity
=======================
12 HRS: 14.1S 67.6E - 30 knots (Depression Tropicale)
24 HRS: 15.7S 65.7E - 30 knots (Depression Tropicale)
48 HRS: 18.0S 64.0E - 40 knots (Tempête Tropicale Modérée)
72 HRS: 20.6S 62.7E - 50 knots (Forte Tempête Tropicale)
Additional Information
======================
The low is on the northern edge of the high level ridge and in relationship with its own west-south-westwards motion, is only slightly constrained by the moderate easterly vertical wind shear existing over the area. Low level vortex is however partially exposed on the eastern edge of the small curved band.
Most available numerical weather prediction models are in good agreement to forecast a southwestwards track over the next 3 days then a southwards re-curving motion. Within the next 60 hours, environment remains rather favorable for further development. Low level equatorward inflow remains rather good but indirect due to the intertropical convergence zone in the north.. Poleward inflow is expected to weaken within Thursday 19th in relationship with a weakening in the subtropical belt but should improve again after that. In the upper levels, system takes currently benefit from 2 good outflow channels. The equatorward one is expected to progressively dissipate within the next 12 to 24 hours but the poleward one should improve day after day. Vertical easterly windshear remains weak to moderate within the next 30 hours.
Not sure why our multihandled friend always say I'm a troll other than he doesn't like the Cards. Btw, 15 and sunny this a.m., more like a regular Jan. morning.
i never did think you were a troll. I never observed troll activity from dabirds. and it seems the only one counting you as a troll is a member who hasnt even been here a week lol
NASA image and documented video provide first glimpse of new island formed in the Red Sea
Posted on January 18, 2012
January 18, 2012 – RED SEA – NASA has released two stunning images of the world’s newest, and as yet unnamed, island. Located about 60 miles from the coast of Yemen the new island began forming by volcanic activity in mid-December 2011. After nearly a month long eruption NASA believes that the volcano has now stopped: creating this peanut shaped island. The satellite images show the new island among neighboring islands and clearly show the cinder cone at the island’s centre. The new island is only a few meters from Rugged Island and Haycock Island in the Red Sea and now forms the 11th island in the Zubair Islands group located between Yemen and Eritrea. It measures 530 by 710 meters (1,700 by 2,300 feet) across and has surprised many scientists who didn’t expect the eruption from the Red Sea volcano to form any long lasting land mass. Eruptions such as this usually form short lived islands but NASA expects that this one will remain a permanent feature on the map. Below, the eruption in the Red Sea is captured on video. The scale of the eruption and how little press attention it received is both equally surprising. –Sociable
Winter returns with a vengeance: Seattle to be hit with biggest snow storm in decades
Posted on January 18, 2012
January 18, 2012 – SEATTLE – The snow into Thursday could end up being one of Seattle’s biggest snowstorms on record. The storm and its heavy snowfall have the potential to close passes in the Cascades, clog streets at sea level with tons of snow and slush and force flight delays and cancellations. Near the coast, the snow will be heavy, wet and difficult to shovel. The combination of heavy, wet snow with gusty winds in some areas will down trees, taking power lines with them. In the mountains, a yard or more of snow will fall in the high country. The combination of the excessive snow now and rising temperatures late in the week will increase the risk of avalanches. The heaviest rate of snow will hit Seattle Wednesday, when the snow could come down at an inch-per-hour pace for a time. –Accuweather
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