Hurricane Center Chief Set to Retire

[DoYouEverWonder]

August 26, 2006

MIAMI -- When he retires as director of the National Hurricane Center in January, Max Mayfield will have spent 34 years guiding Americans through some of the busiest, most destructive Atlantic hurricane seasons on record.

But one thing still bothers him.

"This poll at the beginning of hurricane season and 60 percent of folks in coastal areas from Texas to Maine still don't have a hurricane plan," he said. "And we have got to do a better job at that."

Mayfield, 57, who announced Friday he is retiring, said hurricane preparedness is still his passion. Besides monitoring storms, he's been traveling nonstop to coastal states preaching that message during the hurricane offseason.

"I'm tired. I've been here 34 years and I've given it all I've got," said Mayfield, who has led the center since May 2000.

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-ap-national-hurricane-center,0,1989516.story?coll=sns-ap-nation-headlines


Hurricanes just won't be the same with Max Mayfield.

[Aviation Pro]

1. I've spoken briefly to Mayfield once....

...during the 2004 season. With any luck at all, this very intelligent man will talk about the 2005 season and the politics of hurricanes after he retires.

[geomon666]

2. Absolutely.

I'd be very interested in what he has to say about the two biggest hurricane seasons on his watch.

[iamjoy]

3. I Still "Miss" Bob Sheets! eom

[Spazito]

4. I will be sad to see him retire but wish him the very best...

he is a man of principle and integrity. I never totally believe the newscasts on hurricanes, etc, until it is verified by Mr. Mayfield.

[beyond_the_pale]

5. Perhaps due to CNN Headline this week?

Per CNN this week, Mayfield stated that the USA was due for more Mega Disaster Hurricanes.

As a lifelong Miami resident I wanted to call the National Hurricane Center and ask if insurance companies were paying Mayfield to say this. I am just bitter because my home insurance has gone from $500 to $6,000.00 in the past 10 years. This is not Mayfield's responsibility, but I presume that he received a lot of "hate mail" from Floridians after that headline on CNN.

Sorry to say but Mayfield is not a very good spokesman for the Center. The recording that "Brownie" released after Hurricane Katrina showed Mayfield briefing Bush re: potential damage to Gulf Coast if Katrina made landfall as a Category 4 storm, but it was very academic in its nature. He did not project an urgency in his briefing.

Last week on CNN Mayfield talked about Mega Disaster Storms as the new reality. Well, for me, it was not consistant with his attitude in the past. Unfortunately, his public persona has lost credibility.

As a 50-year resident of Miami, yes, I agree that there well may be a Mega Disaster, but we can't expect that every year there will be one. The cost of home insurance in Miami has made it almost unaffordable to own a home in Miami. When Max Mayfield talks about certain disasters it makes it impossible for anyone to demand that insurance companies make their policies affordable to a big segment of home owners in Dade County.

[DoYouEverWonder]

6. Welcome to DU

From a former Miami resident, now in No. FL :hi:

I understand where you're coming from, but I don't think the insurance companies needs Mayfield to come up with excuses for screwing all of us on insurance. It's absolutely insane what is going on this year, yet no one in Tallahassee seems to have even noticed. Hang it there.