Freaks of the Storm: From Flying Cows to Stealing Thunder: The World's Strangest True Weather Stories

By Randy Cerveny

Book Overview

In the course of his numerous talks and presentations to college and grade school students, civic clubs, and nursing homes, climatologist Randy Cerveny found that people of all ages are fascinated by the "unusual" -- and he seized on that fascination to tell them about strange weather. Now, in his first book, the rest of us can learn of real, documented stories such as these: Odd occurrences of chickens losing all their feathers during tornadoes (so-called "chicken plucking"); Strange stories of finding lightning victims who have been completely stripped of all of their clothes (through a process known as "the vapor effect"); Weird stories of how past powerful hailstorms have both led to the ending of one war -- and the complete prevention of another; Bizarre uses of weather -- such as the strange contraption called a "windwagon" that literally "sailed" nearly 500 miles from Kansas to Colorado; Each chapter in Freaks of the Storm encompasses the oddities of a specific type of weather, such as tornadoes, hurricanes, lightning, and hail. The author also divides specific conditions into a set of categories associated with the overall phenomena.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1560258012
• ISBN13: 9781560258018
• Release Date: December 2005
• Publisher: Basic Books
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 1.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.4" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

Fun and informative, very amusing

I enjoyed learning about many facts of the weather through embellished stories and documented happenings. It seems so much more entertaining and easier to digest that just a straight book of facts. It was interesting to learn how weather and weather instruments developed over the centuries. The book also references many other books to follow your desire for more info on any weather topic. Well worth the price.

Very Interesting

This is a great book to have on a table to spark some conversation. It has amazing pictures and stories. There are a few errors I noticed, two so far, in which the author refers to something he says he previously said, but which isn't there, and another odd error. I'll be more specific later. I rated it four stars because of those errors.

From freak hailstones with horns and colored snowflakes to rainfalls of frogs

Any interested in weather and its changing impact on human lives will find FREAKS OF THE STORM: THE WORLD'S STRANGEST TRUE WEATHER STORIES a compelling presentation. From freak hailstones with horns and colored snowflakes to rainfalls of frogs, climatologist Randy Cerveny uses his database of some 8,000 recorded strange weather events to provide a lively survey of the many forms of strange weather. Even leisure browsers with little usual interest in weather will find it a fun survey. Diane C. Donovan, Editor California Bookwatch

Exciting and Well-Written

This book is almost an encyclopedia of weather phenomena and related stories. In about 340 pages of text, the author recounts over 500 weather-related stories, all categorized by the type of weather phenomenon involved, e.g., tornadoes, hail, rain, snow, etc. The author's writing style is very friendly and engaging; the reader can tell that he has a passion for his subject matter. In most cases, some possible scientific explanations are given for the odd events; in other cases, no explanations are given other than, perhaps, a tongue-in-cheek comment alluding to the veracity of the story. The author's sources are given as is a discussion on some weather archivists - both past and present. This is a very entertaining book and a very easy and enjoyable read. Since most people are interested in the weather, this book should be very popular with just about everyone.

For weather buffs and lovers of oddities

Cerveny has organized his book into sections of types of weather oddities, e.g. hurricanes, hail, tornados, with additional sections at the end for extremes, and one odd weather story for every state in the United States, plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. There are numerous small photographs and other illustrations throughout. The book doesn't have narrative flow, but most parts are pretty gripping. Fascinating though it is to read that some people have survived being picked up by a tornado and spun around in the center, I don't think I'll try it. The sections on specific types of weather usually have thirteen parts, "lucky" thirteen being safety measures. One can hope that people who think that strength of character is sufficient protection from extreme weather will learn a little sense. Made me try to remember where my portable radio is! Obviously, weather buffs will eat this up. It is also a great book for anyone who like collections of oddities from such "fortean" authors as Charles Berlitz - the advantage is, these are much more likely to be true. Cerveny includes some legends, biblical stories and credible reports, although he is careful to specify when something is considered to be official. He notes that although "ball" lightening has not been scientifically observed, most experts agree that the large number of sightings indicate that it must exist. It is also an interesting book for picking up and thumbing through at odd moments. I think I was most struck by the case of a PINE plank that was driven through an IRON girder by a tornado. How is that even possible?! I was torn between giving this a 4 or a 5. Cerveny could do with reading a little more broadly - 1757 was not the Middle Ages in Germany (p.85). Citations are often giving a rather general terms without precise dates or pagination. There is an extensive bibliography as well as a detailed index.