Neil Frank, a former head of the National Hurricane Center credited with increasing the country’s readiness for major storms, died Wednesday. He was 94.
Frank led the hurricane center from 1974 to 1987, the longest-serving director in its history.
“He gets tremendous credit for the being the first one to go out of his way and reach out and make the connection between the National Hurricane Center and the emergency managers,” said meteorologist Max Mayfield, who served as the hurricane center’s director from 2000-2007.
“He taught me that it’s not all about the forecast,” Mayfield said.