Neil Frank

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Neil Frank
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Kansas, U.S.
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EducationPhD in meteorology from Florida State University
Alma materFlorida State University
Southwestern College
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SpouseTemplate:Pluralize from textVelma[1]Template:Pluralize from text
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Children3[2]
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RelativesForrest Frank (grandson)

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Neil Laverne Frank (September 11, 1931 – December 24, 2025) was an American meteorologist and the director of the National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Coral Gables, Florida. He was instrumental in advancing both the scientific and informational aspects of hurricane forecasting. Frank retired in 2008 as chief meteorologist at KHOU in Houston. He was the grandfather of American singer Forrest Frank, best known as one half of the pop duo Surfaces and his solo career as a Contemporary Christian music performer.[3][4][5][6][7]

Early history and family

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Neil Frank grew up in Wellington, Kansas, and attended nearby Southwestern College in Winfield. After receiving a bachelor's degree in chemistry in 1953 and then military training in weather forecasting, he earned master's and Ph.D. degrees in meteorology at Florida State University in Tallahassee. He also was a meteorologist in the U.S. Air Force at Homestead Air Force Base in Homestead, Florida.

National Hurricane Center career

Frank served in the United States Air Force (USAF) where he received training as a weather officer before being a graduate meteorology student. In 1961, he began working as a forecaster for the NHC. He was appointed director of the center in 1974. While director, he also served as chairman of the International Hurricane Committee, which coordinates hurricane warnings across North America. He participated in meteorological experiments conducted off the coast of Africa. In 1987, Frank was called to testify as an expert witness before the United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. As of 2018 he was the longest serving director of the NHC.

As NHC director, Frank was in the news frequently and appeared in many interviews with CBS news anchor Dan Rather,[8] whose early career included coverage of several hurricanes.[9]

In 1980, Frank implemented an amateur radio station that became an important link for resilient communications and ground truth information,[10] including the influential Hurricane Watch Net. The first major tropical cyclone they operated was catastrophic Hurricane Allen that same year. The NHC station communicated directly with the Brownsville Weather Center in Brownsville, Texas after it lost all of its conventional communications links. The only remaining link was the amateur radio station running on battery power. NHC and Brownsville discussed the strange behavior of the eye of Hurricane Allen while it stalled just off the Texas coast for nearly two hours. The station also provided crucial radio relays between hospitals, hospital ships, and relief organizations, sometimes again being the only communications method still operating in damaged areas.[11]

Broadcasting career

In June 1987, Frank retired from the National Hurricane Center and joined Houston's CBS affiliate, KHOU.[12] He was well known to the Houston market from his reports as director of the National Hurricane Center, particularly from his work during Hurricane Alicia, which made landfall near Houston in 1983. Frank was the chief meteorologist for the television station for over 20 years receiving numerous awards. In December 2007, he announced that he would retire from broadcasting at KHOU-TV in 2008 and on May 19, 2008, Frank announced on the 10 pm broadcast that he was retiring at the end of May.[13] He continued to provide the station with coverage of special weather projects and hurricanes.

Global warming

Frank was a signatory to An Evangelical Declaration on Global Warming.[14] It claims that Earth and its ecosystems, created by God's intelligent design and infinite power and sustained by his faithful providence, are robust, resilient, self-regulating, and self-correcting.[15]

Death

Frank died on December 24, 2025, at the age of 94.[16]

Professional memberships and awards

References

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  1. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Doctor Frank and Mister Jesus". YouTube. 9 November 2014.
  2. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Doctor Frank and Mister Jesus". YouTube. 9 November 2014.
  3. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."KHOU-TV profile of Dr. Frank". khou.com. Archived from the original on 6 February 2007. Retrieved 7 August 2007.
  4. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."USA Talent meteorologist informational listing". tvjobs.com. Archived from the original on 11 April 2016. Retrieved 7 August 2007.
  5. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Florida State University weathercasting course website". met.fsu.edu/orgs/wxcast. Archived from the original on 1 September 2006. Retrieved 7 August 2007.
  6. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Topeka Capital-Journal article about Frank". cjonline.com. 2004. Retrieved 7 August 2007.
  7. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Story on award recognition". prnewswire.com (Press release). Retrieved 7 August 2007.
  8. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Rather In The Eye Of The Storm". CBS News. 7 March 2005. Archived from the original on 6 December 2006.
  9. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Archived copy". Archived from the original on 25 May 2011. Retrieved 7 July 2007.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  10. ^ W4EHW History at NHC
  11. ^ W4EHW Dr. Frank History at NHC
  12. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Neil Frank Takes Post in Houston". Gainesville Sun. Associated Press. 21 February 1987. p. 11A. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
  13. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."After 20 years on KHOU-TV, chief meteorologist Dr. Neil Frank to retire". khou.com.[dead link]
  14. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Prominent Signers of An Evangelical Declaration on Global Warming". Cornwall Alliance. Archived from the original on 30 August 2012. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
  15. ^ An Evangelical Declaration on Global Warming Script error: No such module "webarchive". "We believe Earth and its ecosystems – created by God's intelligent design and infinite power and sustained by His faithful providence – are robust, resilient, self-regulating, and self-correcting, admirably suited for human flourishing, and displaying His glory."
  16. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Hernandez, Sondra (24 December 2025). "Neil Frank, celebrated meteorologist, dies at 94, KHOU reports". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 24 December 2025.

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