Grady Norton
Encyclopedia
Grady Norton was an American
meteorologist. He is widely recognized as the original director of the National Hurricane Center
even though that position would not be created during his lifetime.
The son of a farmer, Norton was born in Womack Hill, Alabama. Due to a boll weevil
infestation at his family farm in Choctaw County, Alabama
around 1915, Grady was forced to leave the farming life and get a job. He was drafted into the Army
near the end of World War I
, and later attended a Signal Corps' meteorology program at Texas A&M College
.
After Congress appropriated funding for four hurricane forecast centers in 1935, Norton became the chief forecaster of the Jacksonville
office. He was able to issue hurricane warnings more than twelve hours in advance when the 1935 Labor Day hurricane hit South Florida.
In 1943 the forecast center was moved to Miami, Florida
to establish a joint hurricane warning service with the United States Army Air Corps
and the United States Navy
. Norton remained as the center's chief forecaster.
During the later decades of his life he suffered from high blood pressure. He died in 1954 after a twelve-hour stint forecasting for Hurricane Hazel
, and was succeeded by his understudy, Gordon Dunn.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
meteorologist. He is widely recognized as the original director of the National Hurricane Center
National Hurricane Center
The National Hurricane Center , located at Florida International University in Miami, Florida, is the division of the National Weather Service responsible for tracking and predicting weather systems within the tropics between the Prime Meridian and the 140th meridian west poleward to the 30th...
even though that position would not be created during his lifetime.
The son of a farmer, Norton was born in Womack Hill, Alabama. Due to a boll weevil
Boll weevil
The boll weevil is a beetle measuring an average length of six millimeters, which feeds on cotton buds and flowers. Thought to be native to Central America, it migrated into the United States from Mexico in the late 19th century and had infested all U.S. cotton-growing areas by the 1920s,...
infestation at his family farm in Choctaw County, Alabama
Choctaw County, Alabama
Choctaw County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. It was established on December 29, 1847 and named for the Choctaw tribe of American Indians. As of 2010 the population was 13,859. The county seat is Butler.- History :...
around 1915, Grady was forced to leave the farming life and get a job. He was drafted into the Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
near the end of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, and later attended a Signal Corps' meteorology program at Texas A&M College
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
.
After Congress appropriated funding for four hurricane forecast centers in 1935, Norton became the chief forecaster of the Jacksonville
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
office. He was able to issue hurricane warnings more than twelve hours in advance when the 1935 Labor Day hurricane hit South Florida.
In 1943 the forecast center was moved to Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
to establish a joint hurricane warning service with the United States Army Air Corps
United States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. Renamed from the Air Service on 2 July 1926, it was part of the United States Army and the predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces , established in 1941...
and the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
. Norton remained as the center's chief forecaster.
During the later decades of his life he suffered from high blood pressure. He died in 1954 after a twelve-hour stint forecasting for Hurricane Hazel
Hurricane Hazel
Hurricane Hazel was the deadliest and costliest hurricane of the 1954 Atlantic hurricane season. The storm killed as many as 1,000 people in Haiti before striking the United States near the border between North and South Carolina, as a Category 4 hurricane...
, and was succeeded by his understudy, Gordon Dunn.