Edward Rappaport
NOAA Heritage Oral History Project
NOAA Heritage Oral History Project aims to document the history and legacy of NOAA through compelling interviews with its leaders. These firsthand accounts provide an invaluable resource that preserves NOAA's significant contributions to environmental research and management, fostering a deeper understanding of NOAA's vital role in shaping our understanding of the Earth's oceans and atmosphere.
Molly Graham
Dr. Ed Rappaport was born in 1957 in Southern California. He earned his undergraduate and master’s degrees in Atmospheric Sciences from the University of Washington. Ed then received his Ph.D. with an emphasis in Atmospheric Science from Texas Tech University. Dr. Rappaport began at NHC as a post-doctoral fellow for the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research. He has since worked in each of NHC’s organizational units, including nine years as a hurricane specialist (forecaster), nine years as head of the specialists’ unit, and two years as the chief of the technology and science branch. Ed has been with NOAA’s National Hurricane Center (NHC) for 32 years. Since 2000, he has served as NHC’s Deputy Director and, in stints totaling seven years—including the 2007 and 2017 hurricane seasons, its acting director. His more than 40-year career in meteorology comprises positions in forecasting, research, administration, management, academia, and the media.
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