NOAA makes unscheduled inspection of National Hurricane Center

MIAMI-The National Hurricane Center's director said Tuesday he and his staff are well prepared to forecast storms, after the Commerce Department ordered an unscheduled review of the facility to determine if employees can fulfill their mission under his management.The inspection follows recently appointed Director Bill Proenza's public complaints about budget shortfalls and the federal government's failure to replace a key aging weather satellite. But his superiors have criticized those comments and three of his workers want a new director.Commerce Undersecretary Conrad Lautenbacher said the review that started Monday was launched because he became aware "of concerns about (the hurricane center's) ability to meet its mission." He did not give specifics."I want to ensure the Center's continued readiness for not only this season but future seasons," he said in a memo Friday to center staffers. Lautenbacher also heads the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which oversees the National Weather Service, the hurricane center's parent agency.

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As in the days of Noah...