James Louis Franklin is a former weather forecaster encompassing a 35-year career with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

[7][8] Installing GPS location equipment improved hurricane intensity forecast accuracy by directly measuring the eyewall characteristics.

Ultimately, retaining the status as a hurricane for public messaging “would have utterly destroyed the credibility of the agency in the long run,” Franklin said.

However, Franklin cautioned against moving the date even earlier to May 1, due to concerns over public safety and a lack of preparedness during the peak of the season.

In 2007, Franklin, along with twenty-two other staff members, signed a letter to remove its current director, William Proenza, stating “The effective functioning of the National Hurricane Center is at stake.”.