Max Mayfield facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Max Mayfield
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
Britt Max Mayfield
September 19, 1948 |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Florida State University University of Oklahoma |
| Occupation | Former director of the National Hurricane Center |
Britt Max Mayfield (born September 19, 1948) is an American meteorologist. A meteorologist is a scientist who studies the weather. He was the director of the National Hurricane Center from 2000 to 2007. This center helps people get ready for big storms. As director, Max Mayfield became a very trusted person. He helped people prepare for dangerous weather. This was especially true for tropical storms and hurricanes.
Contents
Max Mayfield's Career Journey
Early Weather Work
Max Mayfield started his career in 1970. He worked for the United States Air Force. He had studied mathematics at the University of Oklahoma. After the Air Force, he joined the National Weather Service in 1972. There, he used satellites to study weather.
Becoming a Hurricane Expert
Later, Max Mayfield went back to school. He earned a master's degree in meteorology in 1987. This was at Florida State University. After this, he became a specialist in hurricanes. This means he was an expert on these powerful storms.
Leading the National Hurricane Center
In January 2000, Max Mayfield became the director of the National Hurricane Center. He took over after Jerry Jarrell retired. As director, he helped many people understand and prepare for hurricanes.
He also led an international group. This group helps 26 countries in the Atlantic and Pacific regions with weather information. After leaving the Hurricane Center in 2007, he worked for a TV station in Miami. He was their hurricane specialist until he retired in 2019.
Max Mayfield is married to Linda Mayfield. They have three children named Lee, Lindsay, and Lauren.
Awards and Important Moments
Max Mayfield received many awards for his work. These awards recognized his efforts to keep people safe during storms.
Gold and Silver Medals
He earned Gold medals for his work during Hurricane Andrew in 1992. He also received one for Hurricane Isabel in 2003. He got a silver medal for his work during Hurricane Gilbert in 1988. These medals show how important his actions were during these major hurricanes.
Helping Communities Prepare
In 1996, he received an award for his training programs. He taught emergency officials and the public how to get ready for hurricanes. He also got an award in 2000 for creating more training chances. In 2004, he was honored for helping improve the hurricane warning program in the United States.
Special Recognition
Max Mayfield also received an Emmy Award in 2004. This was for his amazing help to television. In 2005, he was named ABC's person of the week. This happened after Hurricane Katrina, a very powerful storm. He also received a special award from the President in 2005.
A Crucial Call During Katrina
Before Hurricane Katrina hit, Max Mayfield made a very important phone call. He personally called the mayor of New Orleans. He wanted to make sure the mayor understood how serious the storm was. He told TIME magazine that it was only the second time he had ever called a politician. He wanted to know he had done everything possible to help. The next morning, the mayor finally told everyone to leave the city.
