ROANOKE, Va. (WFXR) — Dr. Michael Brennan has been named director of the National Hurricane Center (NHC).

Dr. Brennan was appointed to the position in early April 2023 and is the 14th Director in the history of the NHC, a division of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. He is now responsible for the division of the United States government that provides information and forecasts for some of the most dangerous weather events on the planet: tropical cyclones.

What is even more exciting for our area is that Dr. Brennan graduated from Cave Spring High School in the mid-90s.

Our Chief Meteorologist John Carroll has interviewed Dr. Brennan several times with respect to tropical cyclones and their impact on our region. His first-hand knowledge of the region has been very helpful to the WFXR meteorologists.

We also had a chance to catch up with Dr. Brennan about a week after he was appointed to the position and got his take on the role.

Brennan said that his job is all about communication. He wants his team to get the information about any tropical issues as quickly and correctly as possible, so people can get out of danger and stay safe.

He has always been a pleasant person to interview, and obviously very knowledgeable. Dr. Brennan has been the go-to source for information about tropical systems, or the remnants of them, as they impact western and southwestern Virginia.

It is exciting to see that the person in charge of forecasting some of the most dangerous storms on the planet grew up experiencing the weather right in our backyard.