Add another title to Barack Obama’s resume: hurricane forecaster.
On Thursday, President Obama spent the morning touring the National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami and getting a briefing on the coming Atlantic hurricane season, which begins on June 1. However, the eastern Pacific region saw its hurricane season start two weeks ago on May 15 and as luck would have it, the first named storm of the season is currently churning in the basin.
Obama helped issue the Thursday morning forecast for Andres with his name and title (just in case NHC happened to have another Barack Obama on staff) appearing next one of the NHC’s regular forecasters. It’s unlikely Obama did much of the forecasting, given his lack of a meteorological background and the fact that he was in Miami with bigger issues on his mind, namely the start of hurricane season.
.@apat246 @chicagobulls love thibs and think he did a great job. Sorry to see him go but expect he will be snatched up soon by another team.
— President Obama (@POTUS44) May 28, 2015
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is forecasting a below average hurricane season in the Atlantic basin in large part because of the strengthening El Niño. Tropical storms have trouble forming in the Atlantic thanks to wind patterns associated with the phenomenon.
However, despite increased odds for a quiet year and a multi-year major hurricane drought in the U.S., forecasters have warned that it only takes one storm to wreak serious damage along the East Coast. Notably, 1992 saw only seven named storms, but one of them was Hurricane Andrew, which became a massive Category 5 storm that made a direct hit on Florida.
And though El Niño generally leads to a quiet Atlantic hurricane season, in the eastern Pacific, it can increase activity and send storm’s churning toward Obama’s home state of Hawaii. With El Niño-like conditions burbling last August, two storms beelined for the island chain with one, Hurricane Iselle, making landfall as the strongest storm on record to hit the Big Island.
Obama’s Twitter Q&A highlights
Just got a hurricane preparedness briefing in Miami. Acting on climate change is critical. Got climate Qs? I'll answer at 1pm ET. #AskPOTUS
— President Obama (@POTUS44) May 28, 2015
Ready to answer your questions on climate change. Let's do this! #AskPOTUS pic.twitter.com/5KrIb5jL6S
— President Obama (@POTUS44) May 28, 2015
.@calebmegajew the science is overwhelming but what will move Congress will be public opinion. Your voices will make them open to facts.
— President Obama (@POTUS44) May 28, 2015
.@BigBennyFL 2/ But since we can't prevent oil exploration completely in region we're setting the highest possible standards
— President Obama (@POTUS44) May 28, 2015
.@BigBennyFL 3/ already rejected Shell's original proposal as inadequate which shows we're serious.
— President Obama (@POTUS44) May 28, 2015
.@drock89 as @Pontifex and other religious leaders have stated we have a moral obligation to the most vulnerable and the next generation.
— President Obama (@POTUS44) May 28, 2015
.@ZCarlander more severe weather events lead to displacement, scarcity, stressed populations; all increase likelihood of global conflict.
— President Obama (@POTUS44) May 28, 2015
.@HtetWint renewable energy key, already increased solar 10x and wind 3x, now need to invest more in r&d and provide regulatory incentives
— President Obama (@POTUS44) May 28, 2015
.@arianastover Kids instinctively understand importance of environment, impact on animals, health. Weave it into science and social studies
— President Obama (@POTUS44) May 28, 2015
Thanks for the questions! This was fun. I've got to run, but let’s do it again soon. Tell me what you're doing to #ActOnClimate.
— President Obama (@POTUS44) May 28, 2015