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Neil L. Frank, Longest-Serving U.S. Hurricane Center Director, Dies at 94

Family says he passed at home days after entering hospice.

Overview

  • Frank led the National Hurricane Center from 1974 to 1987, the longest tenure in the agency’s history.
  • Former director Max Mayfield credited him with building ties to emergency managers and turning forecasts into actionable guidance.
  • KHOU-TV in Houston, where he later served as chief meteorologist, first reported the death before national outlets confirmed it.
  • After leaving the hurricane center, he spent more than two decades on Houston television and retired from broadcasting in 2008.
  • Coverage notes he publicly questioned human-caused climate change, a position contrasted with the scientific consensus cited by the Associated Press.