Florida's Hurricane History (Paperback)

~ (Author), Neil Frank (Foreword)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Florida's 1300-mile coastline is both a blessing and a curse; each summer it brings pleasure to millions of beach visitors but trepidation to insurance companies and disaster-preparedness officers. This fascinating and disturbing account of punishing encounters with hurricanes?which hit Florida more frequently than any other state?covers four and a half centuries of Florida history. Barnes (North Carolina's Hurricane History, Univ. of North Carolina, 1995) begins by explaining the meteorology of hurricanes, the development of tracking and forecasting, and the tradition of naming individual storms. The bulk of his narrative, however, details the history and impact of more than 100 major storms. Heavily illustrated, the book bears graphic witness to the havoc wreaked by winds topping 200 miles per hour and storm surges reaching 20 feet above sea level. John M. Williams and Iver W. Duedall's Florida Hurricanes and Tropical Storms (Univ. of Florida, 1997) is similar but considerably less detailed, while Roger A. Pielke Sr.'s Hurricanes: Their Natures and Impacts on Society (Wiley, 1997) is directed toward specialists. Essential for meteorology collections and all Florida libraries; recommended for scholars and general readers nationwide.?Kathleen Arsenault, Univ. of South Florida at St. Petersburg Lib.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"A compelling look back into the state's relationship with the tropical cyclone and it reminds us of the dangers that loom ahead." -- Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society

"An important book . . . helps to counter the ideology of hurricane denial rooted in the real estate boom of... the twentieth century." -- Journal of Southern History

"This fascinating and disturbing account of punishing encounters with hurricanes... covers four and a half centuries of Florida history. . . . Essential." -- Library Journal --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 330 pages
• Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press (September 30, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0807847488
• ISBN-13: 978-0807847480
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 8.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,349,662 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally, a comprehensive collection of Florida storms., November 15, 1998

By A Customer

Great photos, and all the detail you could ever want on Florida hurricanes. The survival stories are frightening! All the weather data is there. It's a great resource for us hurricane junkies!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Resource On Florida Hurricanes, June 6, 2001

By	Buddy and Ellen (Miami, Fla) - See all my reviews

What a great book. We've enjoyed the stories of the memorable storms like Donna, Andrew, and Opal and the effect theyve had on generations of Florida residents. The 1926 Miami and 1928 Okeechobee are well covered. Also very interesting reading on those storms we've never heard of. The photographs are stunning-and frightening. Its organized well, and the reading is not too technical. It stays on our coffee table.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars FINEST WORK OF ITS KIND, November 24, 2007

By	Severin Olson (Hyattsville, Maryland United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Florida's Hurricane History (Paperback)

If you are interested in the hurricane history of any special state or region, this is probably the finest work of its kind written to date. Following a superb introduction to our subject, the author describes every significant or noteworthy storm to hit Florida since the 1700's. Each entry includes a map showing the storm's track through the state. We learn of the unique impact each had on the sunshine state. Some hurricanes, of course, like Agnes, had major impacts outside of Florida, and Barnes writes of these as well. Looking through these pages also shows us the cyclical nature of storms. In some years disaster hit several times, while other periods (like the 70's), saw little activity of any kind.

I found this edition to be much better than the author's NC one, if for no other reason than Florida's more active history! While some hurricanes listed in the other book may be of interest mostly to locals, the ones here, like the Labor Day and Miami storm, are truly important historically. I would hope Barnes is writing on the hurricane history of other states as well.