FAIRHOPE — The City of Fairhope welcomed famed meteorologist James Spann for a hurricane preparedness event at the start of what is expected to be an active season.
He spoke about the current hurricane season, which runs from June to November and addressed attacks he's faced concerning the naming of the Gulf of America.
While the National Weather Service predicts a 60% chance of above-normal hurricane activity, with up to 19 named storms and up to five major hurricanes, Spann said there is no way to make a perfect prediction.
"I hear this all the time, 'Those weather people get it wrong 99% of the time and they still get paid," Spann said. "What do you mean? Hey, this is hard. You try and do this. But let me say, predicting the future is hard. Did anybody fill out a March Madness bracket here? If you've ever filled out a March Madness bracket, you know what I mean. This ain't easy."
Spann said he was disappointed in the forecasting for Hurricane Sally in 2020, a storm that impacted much of the Gulf Coast.
"A lot of things went sideways here," he said of the days leading up to Sally. "A lot of things went sideways. I don't think anybody's proud of what we did. The whole thing was just bad."
Spann said his biggest regret ahead of Sally was a life lesson that will change the way he predicts hurricanes. He said multiple times the hurricane would be "minimal." However, he said there is no such thing as a minimal hurricane. That is why Spann said it is essential to prepare ahead of the storm.
He presented a historical look at hurricane seasons similar to this year's forecast to show that outcomes are variable.
Spann has 1.4 million followers on Facebook and nearly 569,000 followers on X. With all those eyes on his work, Spann said he often receives hate. However, with the renaming of the Gulf of America, he faced significant backlash and even death threats.
"So, we're politically polarized, and for those that know me, I don't do politics. I have zero interest in it, zero interest in it," Spann told the crowd. "But we were forced into it by this. I posted a photograph a few weeks ago of a lady that said, 'Here's a beautiful, beautiful sunset from the Gulf of America,' and I just quote the post, and I put it up there. I mean I was attacked. It was rough."
Spann said that he deleted the post due to the hateful messages. That move caused him more hate from the right. He said his hope is that people can put politics aside for the safety of others during hurricane season and beyond.
"I'm under attack every day," he added. "I can post a picture of a cloud and they're fighting; they're posting a thing within five minutes. I mean, it's just, 'Here we go, he's about to talk about Gulf of America.' As we get into the season, we're facing unprecedented attacks already. I've had four death threats, credible death threats in the last two months."
"I live in a very strange world now," Spann continued. "I'm just a weather guy, but somehow we have become a society of very angry people, and I just want to remind you that our friends in the weather service, and those of us in the private sector, we're just trying to help you."
Official online maps changed the Gulf of Mexico's name to the Gulf of America after President Donald Trump signed an executive order making the change official.
Fairhope Mayor Sherry Sullivan said getting Spann to speak at the event was a year in the making. She said she hoped the presentation helped prepare residents.
"He has such a social media following, and I think James Spann is just that expert that everybody looks to," Sullivan said. "I think everyone that attended the event enjoyed it, and I think it's great information for us to have prior to hurricane season."
Fairhope will continue to share important hurricane information with residents. Sullivan said the City's Facebook page will also be updated.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email [email protected].
Don't miss out! Subscribe to our newsletter and get our top stories every weekday morning or become a member to gain access to exclusive content and 1819 News merch.
