Florida's Hurricane History

by Jay Barnes, Neil Frank (Foreword)

The Sunshine State has an exceptionally stormy past. Vulnerable to storms that arise in the Atlantic, Caribbean, and Gulf of Mexico, Florida has been hit by far more hurricanes than any other state. In this book, Jay Barnes offers a fascinating and informative look at Florida's hurricane history. Drawing on meteorological research, news reports, first-person accounts, maps, and historical photographs, he traces all of the notable hurricanes that have affected the state over the last four-and-a-half centuries, from the great storms that swept away settlements and sank ships during the early colonial period to the devastating Hurricanes Andrew (1992) and Opal (1995).
In addition to providing a comprehensive chronology of more than one hundred individual storms, Florida's Hurricane History includes information on the basics of hurricane dynamics, formation, naming, and forecasting. Filled with more than 200 photographs, maps, and illustrations, the book also features a foreword by Neil Frank, longtime director of the National Hurricane Center. It will serve as both an essential reference on hurricanes in Florida and a remarkable source of the stories--of tragedy and destruction, rescue and survival--that foster our fascination with these powerful storms.

Genres: History, Nature, Nonfiction

330 pages, Paperback

First published October 19, 1998

Reviews

[Holly Lindquist]

Filled with engrossing tales of nature on the warpath...
Some of these tales are humorous (the fellow riding stormy seas on his desk inside his own office. A policeman roars in on a wave and they both cling for dear life to a chandelier.)
Some are absolutely heart-breaking (the failed attempt to rescue highway workers in the Keys during the Labor Day hurricane of '35).
Finally, there are plenty of miraculous survival anecdotes to offset the misery somewhat. (Imagine flying through the air in the midst of jagged debris, and landing a considerable distance away without being harmed. It has happened.)

[David Ward]

Florida's Hurricane History by Jay Barnes (UNC Press 1998)(551.552) is a thoughtful history of hurricanes and how they have significantly affected the Florida coast. I found particularly interesting the account of the "Great Okeechobee Flood of (September) 1928", which is the flood made famous in the Zora Neale Hurston book Their Eyes Were Watching God. This is recounted as one of the greatest floods in American history; it claimed the lives of many who were unprepared for the storm surge and subsequent flooding. My rating: 6/10, finished 9/7/11.

[Janelle C.]

Very interesting for someone living in Florida... especially if it is topical for a dissertation. ;)