Name: Dean Braatz

Q: Where in NOAA do you work now?
A: I am the Hydrologist In Charge of the North Central River Forecast Center, Chanhassen, MN.

Q: When did you begin your work with NOAA?
A: After four years as a weather observer in the USAF, I entered the US Weather Bureau as a pilot briefer/observer at the WBAS Laredo, TX on June 2, 1960.

Q: Looking back, what events stand out as the most memorable during your time with NOAA?
A: Weather and flood events are highlighted by working through Hurricanes Carla in 1963 and Beulah in 1967, both in south Texas, and working the "Great Flood" on the upper Mississippi River Basin in 1993.

Q: From your point of view, what have been the most significant changes NOAA has experienced during the past 30 years?
A: The changes in technology have been beyond ones belief. When I started in the Weather Bureau observations punched on yellow tapes were still sent manually on the hourly call up. Today the power of the HP work stations is so much greater than the first main frames back in the 60s and 70s. Technology has played a significant role in allowing the NWS to keep pace with the demands for expanding program and products to meet the current user requirements.

This page updated on: Monday, 07-Jan-2002 21:41:55 GMT
History | Leadership | Special Events | NOAA In Your State
Faces of NOAA | Administrator's Notes | 30 Things To Know | Home

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
E-mail comments to David.P.Miller@noaa.gov