Editor’s Note: This oral history was conducted by Molly Graham in 2020 as a part of the NOAA 50th Anniversary Oral History Project.
As a child growing up in Havana, Cuba, Dr. Lixion Avila became fascinated with tropical storms at a very young age. That passion translated into years of studying meteorology, both in Cuba and at the University of Miami, as well as the achievement of both a Master’s degree in meteorology and a PhD in Atmospheric Sciences. Dr. Avila has always believed that hurricanes “are a part of his soul.”
As he furthered his education, Dr. Avila began working for the National Hurricane Center (NHC) in the 1980s, translating weather advisories into Spanish and transporting maps. He was eventually hired as a forecaster in the Tropical Analysis and Forecast Branch in 1987, and was writing his renowned hurricane advisories as a hurricane specialist by the end of the decade. In his years at the NHC, Dr. Avila witnessed many modernization efforts, including the integration of Doppler radar and numerical weather prediction.
Here are two transcripted quotes from his interview recorded in December 2020:
On adjusting to new technologies during his career:
LA: “I had to adapt. I had to adapt to the new technology. I was able to do it. They used to call me the bug finder because every time they wanted to install something new, and they thought it worked, I found a bug. They said, “My goodness, how did you find it?” I did that. But you have to adapt, of course. Everything new is good eventually. It’s not good the same day, but once you practice and you use it, it becomes better.”
On working for NOAA:
LA: “Well, NOAA has been my life in the United States. I became a scientist with NOAA. I became, I would say, a person in NOAA...At NOAA, I have always had the most, I would say, professional life, and I got every award that they can give you. They respected me as a scientist….NOAA has been my life.”
