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Florida's Hurricane History
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 many ways, hurricanes have helped shape Florida's history. Early efforts by the French, Spanish, and English to claim the territory as their own were often thwarted by hurricanes. More recently, storms have affected such massive projects as Henry Flagler's Overseas Railroad and efforts to manage water in South Florida.
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 of the early colonial period to the devastating hurricanes of 2004 and 2005--Charley, Frances, Ivan, Jeanne, Dennis, Katrina, and Wilma.
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. It explores the origins of the U.S. Weather Bureau and government efforts to study and track hurricanes in Florida, home of the National Hurricane Center. But the book does more than examine how hurricanes have shaped Florida's past; it also looks toward the future, discussing the serious threat that hurricanes continue to pose to both lives and property in the state.
Filled with more than 200 photographs and maps, the book also features a foreword by Steve Lyons, tropical weather expert for the Weather Channel. 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.
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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 updated edition of Florida's Hurricane History , Jay Barnes draws on meteorological research, news reports, first-person accounts, maps, and historical photographs to trace all of the notable hurricanes that have affected the state over the last four-and-a-half centuries, from the early colonial period to the devastating hurricanes of 2004 and 2005--Charley, Frances, Ivan, Jeanne, Dennis, Katrina, and Wilma. Illustrated with more than 200 photographs and maps, the book is filled with fascinating stories of tragedy and survival.-->
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 of the early colonial period to the devastating hurricanes of 2004 and 2005--Charley, Frances, Ivan, Jeanne, Dennis, Katrina, and Wilma.
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. It explores the origins of the U.S. Weather Bureau and government efforts to study and track hurricanes in Florida, home of the National Hurricane Center. But the book does more than examine how hurricanes have shaped Florida's past; it also looks toward the future, discussing the serious threat that hurricanes continue to pose to both lives and property in the state.
Filled with more than 200 photographs and maps, the book also features a foreword by Steve Lyons, tropical weather expert for the Weather Channel. 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.
<!--copy for
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 updated edition of Florida's Hurricane History , Jay Barnes draws on meteorological research, news reports, first-person accounts, maps, and historical photographs to trace all of the notable hurricanes that have affected the state over the last four-and-a-half centuries, from the early colonial period to the devastating hurricanes of 2004 and 2005--Charley, Frances, Ivan, Jeanne, Dennis, Katrina, and Wilma. Illustrated with more than 200 photographs and maps, the book is filled with fascinating stories of tragedy and survival.-->
- GenresNonfictionHistoryNature
424 pages, Paperback
First published October 19, 1998
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 19, 2009
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.)
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.)
January 13, 2016
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.
March 29, 2011
Very interesting for someone living in Florida... especially if it is topical for a dissertation. ;)
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews