The New Orleans/Baton Rouge National Weather Service Office has one of
the longest histories of any Weather Service Forecast Office in the United
States. The New Orleans office was established under the auspices of the
Army Signal Corps of the United States Army on October 4, 1870 and was
initially housed in a building at 281 Carondelet Street in New Orleans.
On November 1870 of the same year, the office was moved to 222 Custom House
Street, now known as Iberville Street. The Office was moved again on November
1, 1871 to the U.S. Custom House at Decatur, Iberville, and Canal Streets.
The Weather Reporting Service of the Army Signal Corps was transferred
to the new Weather Bureau, a component of the Department of Agriculture,
on July 1, 1891. From March 24, 1915 to December 15, 1961, the New Orleans
Weather Bureau Office was located in the Post Office Building at 600 Camp
Street. After that time, the office was moved to the fourteenth floor of
the Federal Building at 701 Loyola Avenue where it remained until April
1979. During this period, the Weather Bureau became the major component
of the new Environmental Science Services Administration under the Department
of Commerce in 1965, and acquired its current name, the National Weather
Service, when it became the major division of the National Oceanic Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) of the Department of Commerce in 1970.
A brief history of the station's leadership begins with the first Meteorologist-in-Charge,
Isaac Cline (1900-1936), who arrived in New Orleans a year after the 1899
Record Cold event when temperatures plunged to 7 degrees above zero.
Cline was a Medical Doctor, noted author (whose books on hurricanes was
at one time required to be in every school library in New Orleans), and
meteorologist in the military. He was stationed in Galveston, Texas, when
the Great Hurricane of 1900, struck and killed over 6,000 people and devastated
the city. He attempted to prepare for hurricanes by having his house
built on stilts. However, his efforts were not successful. The house was
crushed by runaway and washed out railroad ties during the Great Hurricane.
Only a daughter and his brother survived. The remainder of his family was
lost. He then moved to New Orleans and was the chief meteorologist until
his retirement. He worked the 1915 Hurricane in which considerable flooding
occurred around Lake Pontchartrain and the canals. Ninety percent of the
buildings were damaged and over 200 people were killed. He also worked
the great Mississippi River flood of 1927 which concurrently gave rise
to two of this nations leaders, Louisiana State Governor and Senator Huey
P. Long and Department of Commerce Chief and U.S. President Herbert Hoover.
Following Mr. Cline was Mr. MacDonald, who was chief from 1936 to 1944.
He was followed by Stephen Lichtblau (1944-1970) who managed a regional
center and forecast office inclusive of hurricane, marine, and aviation
weather forecast responsibility. His deputy, W. Clyde Conner, took the
reigns in 1970 to 1974 (note that W. Clyde Conner's deputy, Billy Crouch
was NWSFO LIX's eight chief 1987-1994). Mr. Conner started out as a forecaster
and worked several major hurricanes such as Audrey, Carla, Betsy, and Camille,
1957, 1961, 1965, and 1969 respectively. He also worked during the Big
Snow event, December 31, 1963. He received numerous awards from the NWS
for his work. During his tenure the famous Howard Johnson sniper incident
occurred in 1974 when a bullet went through one of the office windows.
Eldon Jetton was the next leader. He died of a heart attack in 1975 after
only two months in his new position. He was followed by Dave Barnes (1975-1983).
During Mr. Barnes' era, the Satellite Field Service Station was established
along with the Area Aviation Forecast Center. Mr. Barnes resigned and became
the Chief Meteorologist for a CBS television affiliate and a Private Consulting
Meteorologist and Oceanographer. The 80s and 90s leadership includes Mr.
Clarence Vicroy (1983-1986). Mr. Vicroy worked in the office during the
Mississippi River flood of 1973 in which the Bonne Carre Spillway was used
for the first time. Also during the 80s and 90s Mr. Glen Trapp (1986-1987),
Mr. Billy Crouch (1987-1994), and Mr. Paul S. Trotter (1994 to present)
all served as Area Managers for the office.
On April 25, 1979, the office was collocated with its radar office and
the Lower Mississippi River Forecast Office at 1120 Old Spanish Trail in
Slidell, Louisiana and became known as the New Orleans Area Weather Service
Forecast Office. When the office relocated to present location in Slidell
on February 15, 1994, its name was changed to the New Orleans/Baton Rouge
Area National Weather Service Forecast Office. This change incorporated
the old Weather Service Office in Baton Rouge which eventually closed during
the Modernization and Restructuring process. The current office is collocated
with its NEXRAD-88D Doppler radar and the Lower Mississippi River Forecast
Center.
During its long history, the responsibilities of the New Orleans/Baton
Rouge National Weather Service Forecast Office have grown from primarily
weather observing activities in the late 1800s to the current issuance
of a myriad of forecasting and warning related products. At one point,
the office issued forecasts and warnings for the Gulf of Mexico and sections
of a six state region including Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi,
Alabama, and the western Florida panhandle. Presently, the office prepares
forecast and warning products to support such interests as the general
public and the aviation, fire weather, and marine communities for southeast
Louisiana, and the southwestern and coastal counties of Mississippi. The
continuing primary mission of the office is the protection of life and
property from natural disasters through the issuance of warnings and forecasts
for hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, winter and summer storms, and all manner
of severe or extreme weather.