Florida's Hurricane History

By Jay Barnes

Book Overview

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.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0807858099
• ISBN13: 9780807858097
• Release Date: May 2007
• Publisher: University of North Carolina Press
• Length: 424 Pages
• Weight: 2.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 8.4" x 10.9"

Customer Reviews

FINEST WORK OF ITS KIND

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.

A Fascinating Read

My earliest memory was Hurricane Donna, and I have been intrigued by hurricanes ever since. This book offers a considerable amount of historical data along with fascinating accounts. Highly recommended to anybody who would like to learn more about the history of hurricanes in Florida.

Excellent Resource On Florida Hurricanes

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.

Finally, a comprehensive collection of Florida storms.

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!