Isaac's Storm

Rating:
Summary: Hurricane Season is Coming.........
Review: Having lived in North Carolina and having gone through hurricanes Fran and Floyd, along with several smaller hurricanes, I found this book fascinating. It tells the story of the development of a super killer hurricane through the eyes of a man who does the best he can with the scientific knowledge available. To see the change in weather forecasting from then until now is amazing. To understand the unpredictability of storms even in this day and age is frightening. The devastation wrought by this storm is so completely thorough,and the author does a superior job of rendering a picture that the reader can grasp. The actual historical perspective, blended with the memories of Isaac should cause everyone to understand that nature has uncontrollable power and deserves our respect. Anyone who lives in an area where there is possible hurricane activity should read this book and then learn to prepare and plan for an eventual hurricane. The devastation of Floyd went way beyond the immediate coastline where most people think the main damage occurs. Since then the National Hurricane Center has realized that new ratings for damage potential and water amounts need to be developed. As "weather smart" as the people of Isaac's time thought they were, are we not as smuggly self assured as they were. Storms can do unexpected things no matter how closely they are monitored. This was an excellent book about how mother nature doesn't have a trip itinerary, but moves as her spirit strikes.

Rating:
Summary: Hard to Believe It's Non-Fiction!
Review: Isaac's Storm is as readable and fascinating as any novel! As a historian of natural disasters, this short book showed me a typical set of urban reactions in times of crisis--lack of knowledge or denial that a major disaster was about to overtake the city, a rush to the beach to "watch the water rise," shock at the loss of life and property destruction, numbness to the burial and burning of bodies by the thousands, years of grief for lost loved ones, and, eventually, an overwhelming desire to find out "why?" and assign blame.

The book also provides graphic documentation of internal conflicts within a Federal government agency concerning disaster preparedness, warning, and relief that may, with better foresight and training, have reduced the enormous loss of life and destruction of property. One national outcome of the Galvestion hurricane was the council-manager form of municipal government. Similar books exposing bureaucratic ineptitude have recently been published on the 1947 Texas City ship explosions, the 1935 Florida Keys hurricane, and the 1927 Mississippi River flood. These three disasters also led to bureaucratic reforms, although none of the four led to Federal admissions of guilt or responsibility.

For those readers who are interested in the national impact of such catastrophic events, I would highly recommend Rising Tide: The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 and How It Changed America (1998). This book provides outstanding documentation of the unquestioning acceptance by generations of Federal engineers and politicians of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' mid-19th century "levees only" policy of flood control. It also enlightens us on the meteoric rise of politically astute Commerce Secretary Herbert Hoover, who had never held elective office, to the Presidency of the United States due, in part, to his manipulation of publicity surrounding relief efforts after the disasterous 1927 floods on the lower Mississippi River.

Rating:
Summary: Another solid Larson book
Review: Just as in Devil in the White City, Larson brings a time and place to astonishing life in this tale of turn of the century scientific hubris. Galveston literally jumps off the page, with every ill-fated decision draped with tragic historical significance. As with other Larson titles, the prose can occasionally drag with details that may not be immediately relevant or interesting; however, sticking with the narrative is nicely rewarded by page-turning drama once the hurrican kicks into gear. Overall, a compelling read about a shocking disaster that many of us know nothing about.

Rating:
Summary: Don't second guess mother nature!
Review: Living in North Carolina and going through hurricanes Fran and Floyd, along with several smaller hurricanes, I found this book fascinating. It tells the story of the development of a super killer hurricane through the eyes of a man who does the best he can with the scientific knowledge available. To see the change in weather forecasting from then until now is amazing. To understand the unpredictability of storms even in this day and age is frightening. The devastation wrought by this storm is so completely thorough,and the author does a superior job of rendering a picture that the reader can grasp. The actual historical perspective, blended with the memories of Isaac should cause everyone to understand that nature has uncontrollable power and deserves our respect. Anyone who lives in an area where there is possible hurricane activity should read this book and then learn to prepare and plan for an eventual hurricane. The devastation of Floyd went way beyond the immediate coastline where most people think the main damage occurs. Since then the National Hurricane Center has realized that new ratings for damage potential and water amounts need to be developed. As "weather smart" as the people of Isaac's time thought they were, are we not as smuggly self assured as they were. Storms can do unexpected things no matter how closely they are monitored. This was an excellent book about how mother nature doesn't have a trip itinerary, but moves as her spirit strikes.

Rating:
Summary: A review from a decendent of survivors of the 1900 Storm
Review: My mother was born on Galveston, so I grew up hearing about Galveston hurricanes. This included the 1900 storm.

Larson's book is a superb historical account of the 1900 storm. I give "Isaac's Storm" very high marks for it's huge wealth of information. This is most significant considering the scope of the disaster and the limited amount of literature concerning it.

On the other hand, Larson's account of the storm failed to convey to me the horror and sheer magnitude felt by those who survived. I recall hearing of the 1900 storm as a boy. I can remember still the raw and hollow feeling those tales left inside me, not unlike how the world felt after another horrible September tragedy, September 11th, 2001. The lack of emotion was as if Mr. Larson were writing one of Isaac's Cline's reports to Moore - rather dry and impersonal.

For those interested in a little less history and more of the impact the storm had on the lives of Gavlestonians, I would recommend another book that I have read more than once about the 1900 storm. It is "A Weekend In September" by John Edward Weems and is available through Amazon.com. Of the two books, Larson's has greater depth of historical information. Weems' book conveys more of the personal tragedy. Weems' book also includes much about Isaac Cline, but is written from the perspective of a young Galvestonian school teacher.

Rating:
Summary: Don't Miss This Book!
Review: Once in a blue moon, a special book comes along. You know the kind I mean: You open the cover, read the first few sentences, and find yourself instantly transported into the heart of a bewitching story. And what a story this one is! Having lived on the Texas Gulf Coast for over 20 years and having survived several tropical storms and hurricanes, I thought I knew a little about what to expect from this tale of the massive hurricane that nearly destroyed Galveston in 1900. What I didn't anticipate was the consumate skill and amazing talent of writer Erik Larson. Although it is immediately apparent that a vast amount of research was necessary to tell this story in such a sure & compelling voice, I found myself surprised again & again by the level of Mr. Larson's craft. He is a natural storyteller with a clear and compelling voice. Using meticulous & painstaking detail that could be gained only through hundreds (thousands?) of hours of careful research, he spins out an incredible yarn that draws you inexorably into the heart of those very real days in early September of 1900 when over 6,000 people lost their lives in the worst hurricane ever to strike the United States. Although the tale of a single killer hurricane lies at the heart of this story, it casts a much wider net than that. Larson uses the truth like a wizard, weaving history, science, and fact together to bring us a story so remarkable that even after the book's finished it will live in your mind with such clarity that you may begin to wonder if it's something you read...or something you remember. This is "forensic writing" at it's very best. This book will forever change the way you perceive common weather reports and storm warnings. It will astonish, surprise, and enlighten you. And most of all, it will make you hope that Mr. Larson will write more...and soon.

Rating:
Summary: Good reading for those fascinated by storms!
Review: This story is a painstakingly-researched chronicle of the hurricane which devastated the up-and-coming glorious city Galveston, Texas, in 1900. It is presented as the story of Isaac Cline, a meterologist who underestimates the power of one particular storm with tragic results. Beginning somewhat drily with the history of meteorology in the United States, the narrative proceeds to tell the stories of individual families and how they are affected as the storm unexpectedly arrives at their beach and ocean waters begin to swallow their beloved city. The pace of the account then picks up momentum and it's a race to see who will survive the momentous onslought of wind, rain, and sea water.

Although the story of Isaac Cline evokes sympathy, as an individual he does not come across as a particularly appealing person. He works more or less as an adversary to his brother Joseph, also a meteorologist, both vying for top positions. The Weather Bureau of that time also seems less then helpful. Those in charge try to outmaneuver fellow meterologists in order for each man to claim his own fame.

As the author indicates from his story, many forces were at work preventing the population of Galveston from knowing the true extent of the danger that was soon to engulf them. It reminds us that, in our own time, we are fortunate to be able to understand more about the forces of weather and sometimes have a better chance to avoid a tragic outcome of a huricane.