President Donald Trump has selected Neil Jacobs to head the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), appointing the former acting chief of NOAA in 2019. Jacobs was at the helm during the controversial “Sharpiegate” incident when Trump manipulated a hurricane forecast map after discrepancies arose with Alabama meteorologists.
As the nominee to oversee NOAA, Jacobs faces scrutiny over his involvement in Sharpiegate, as highlighted in a report by the Department of Commerce inspector general. The agency, responsible for managing various services including the National Weather Service and National Marine Fisheries Service, has been a target of proposed restructuring under Project 2025, a conservative initiative aiming to reform federal agencies.
Jacobs, a scientist at the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, has a background in integrating computer forecasting systems for weather and climate. Prior to his nomination, he served as the chief atmospheric scientist at Panasonic Avionics Corporation and is a fellow of the American Meteorological Society.
The episode that brought Jacobs into the spotlight was Hurricane Dorian in 2019, when conflicting statements emerged regarding the storm’s path. Despite forecasts indicating no impact on Alabama, President Trump claimed otherwise in a tweet, leading to a public dispute and the altered hurricane map.
In response to the unfolding events, Jacobs expressed distress over the situation, acknowledging the challenges faced and emphasizing the nonpartisan nature of weather forecasting. He later reassured meteorologists in Alabama that their jobs were secure and affirmed the importance of weather information devoid of political influence.
The statement was made, “It changed. I’m the same Neil I was last Thursday,” in reference to the day before the NOAA statement was issued. The watchdog agency of the Commerce Department strongly criticized agency and department leaders in relation to Sharpiegate, stating that they unreasonably criticized NWS forecasters for issuing a public safety message about Hurricane Dorian in response to public inquiries – essentially, for simply doing their jobs. A report from 2020 by a group of academics also criticized Jacobs for his involvement in the incident. At that time, NOAA’s acting chief scientist, Craig McLean, expressed disappointment over the lack of disciplinary action taken against Jacobs and his communications chief. McLean wrote, “While there may be some sympathy for the subordinate employees of overbearing autocratic leaders, I fail to see any justification for leniency in this particular case. If not the highest-ranking official at NOAA, then who will uphold the Scientific Integrity of the agency and the trust that the public relies on in our scientific processes and products?”
Despite these events, Jacobs received support from several weather professionals at the American Meteorological Society meeting in New Orleans last month. They expressed hope that Trump would reinstate Jacobs as the leader of NOAA, especially in comparison to other potential candidates. Victor Gensini, a meteorology professor at Northern Illinois University, commented, “I believe Neil Jacobs is a solid choice.” Jacobs himself was present at the convention and during a session discussing his primary project – the unified weather forecast system, he shared with his fellow meteorologists how he had testified at a congressional hearing a few years prior regarding a bill reauthorizing NOAA. Jacobs recalled that there was bipartisan support for the work of meteorologists, with lawmakers emphasizing the importance of weather forecasting for the nation. He remarked, “All they did was praise our work and highlight the significance of weather forecasting for the country. If you didn’t watch that hearing, you wouldn’t believe such positive discussions happen in D.C.”
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