The Storm of the Century: Tragedy, Heroism, Survival, and the Epic True Story of America's Deadliest Natural Disaster
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In this gripping narrative history, Al Roker from NBC’s Today and the Weather Channel vividly examines the deadliest natural disaster in American history—a haunting and inspiring tale of tragedy, heroism, and resilience that is full of lessons for today’s new age of extreme weather.
On the afternoon of September 8, 1900, two-hundred-mile-per-hour winds and fifteen-foot waves slammed into Galveston, the booming port city on Texas’s Gulf Coast. By dawn the next day, the city that hours earlier had stood as a symbol of America’s growth and expansion was now gone. Shattered, grief-stricken survivors emerged to witness a level of destruction never before seen: Eight thousand corpses littered the streets and were buried under the massive wreckage. Rushing water had lifted buildings from their foundations, smashing them into pieces, while wind gusts had upended steel girders and trestles, driving them through house walls and into sidewalks. No race or class was spared its wrath. In less than twenty-four hours, a single storm had destroyed a major American metropolis—and awakened a nation to the terrifying power of nature.
Blending an unforgettable cast of characters, accessible weather science, and deep historical research into a sweeping and dramatic narrative, The Storm of the Century brings this legendary hurricane and its aftermath into fresh focus. No other natural disaster has ever matched the havoc caused by the awesome mix of winds, rain, and flooding that devastated Galveston and shocked a young, optimistic nation on the cusp of modernity. Exploring the impact of the tragedy on a rising country’s confidence—the trauma of the loss and the determination of the response—Al Roker illuminates the United States’s character at the dawn of the “American Century,” while also underlining the fact that no matter how mighty they may become, all nations must respect the ferocious potential of our natural environment.
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Al Roker. (2015). The Storm of the Century: Tragedy, Heroism, Survival, and the Epic True Story of America's Deadliest Natural Disaster. HarperCollins.
Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation (style guide)Al Roker. 2015. The Storm of the Century: Tragedy, Heroism, Survival, and the Epic True Story of America's Deadliest Natural Disaster. HarperCollins.
Chicago / Turabian - Humanities Citation (style guide)Al Roker, The Storm of the Century: Tragedy, Heroism, Survival, and the Epic True Story of America's Deadliest Natural Disaster. HarperCollins, 2015.
MLA Citation (style guide)Al Roker. The Storm of the Century: Tragedy, Heroism, Survival, and the Epic True Story of America's Deadliest Natural Disaster. HarperCollins, 2015.
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Al Roker is cohost of NBC's Today. He has received thirteen Emmy Awards, ten for his work on Today. He is the author of The Storm of the Century, an acclaimed history of the 1900 Galveston hurricane. He lives in Manhattan with his wife, ABC News and 20/20 correspondent Deborah Roberts, and has two daughters and a son.
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In this gripping narrative history, Al Roker from NBC’s Today and the Weather Channel vividly examines the deadliest natural disaster in American history—a haunting and inspiring tale of tragedy, heroism, and resilience that is full of lessons for today’s new age of extreme weather.
On the afternoon of September 8, 1900, two-hundred-mile-per-hour winds and fifteen-foot waves slammed into Galveston, the booming port city on Texas’s Gulf Coast. By dawn the next day, the city that hours earlier had stood as a symbol of America’s growth and expansion was now gone. Shattered, grief-stricken survivors emerged to witness a level of destruction never before seen: Eight thousand corpses littered the streets and were buried under the massive wreckage. Rushing water had lifted buildings from their foundations, smashing them into pieces, while wind gusts had upended steel girders and trestles, driving them through house walls and into sidewalks. No race or class was spared its wrath. In less than twenty-four hours, a single storm had destroyed a major American metropolis—and awakened a nation to the terrifying power of nature.
Blending an unforgettable cast of characters, accessible weather science, and deep historical research into a sweeping and dramatic narrative, The Storm of the Century brings this legendary hurricane and its aftermath into fresh focus. No other natural disaster has ever matched the havoc caused by the awesome mix of winds, rain, and flooding that devastated Galveston and shocked a young, optimistic nation on the cusp of modernity. Exploring the impact of the tragedy on a rising country’s confidence—the trauma of the loss and the determination of the response—Al Roker illuminates the United States’s character at the dawn of the “American Century,” while also underlining the fact that no matter how mighty they may become, all nations must respect the ferocious potential of our natural environment.
- reviews
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- source: Kirkus Reviews
- content: "Compelling. ... Uplifting."
- premium: False
- source: Chicago Tribune
- content: "Vivid details abound in Roker's telling of the hurricane and its aftermath... [which] reads like a novel. ... Engrossing."
- premium: False
- source: Dallas Morning News
- content: "Gripping reading and a well-crafted cautionary tale. ... [Roker] brings important new energy, details and meteorological insights to this retelling."
- premium: False
- source: Library Journal
- content: "[A] compelling work. ... Focusing on the human experience of the storm, Roker follows survivors before, during, and after the hurricane in order to elucidate what people on Galveston Island encountered as the storm raged through the city."
- premium: False
- source: Lisa Ko, author of The Leavers
- content: "Reads like a blockbuster movie script."
- premium: False
- source: Publishers Weekly
- content: "Roker revisits the 'worst natural diaster of any kind, ever to hit the United States.' ... He sets the stage for the drama with a comprehensive, but accessible history of Galveston at the time."
- premium: False
- source: San Antonio Express-News
- content: "Personalize[s] the event. ... Roker's best research uncovers more of the rescue and recovery effort. ... Roker's new book is a fine effort."
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June 15, 2015
In this chronological account, TV meteorologist Roker revisits the “worst natural disaster of any kind, ever to hit the United States”: the category-four hurricane that pounded Galveston, Tex., on Sept. 8, 1900. The storm killed more than 10,000 people, caused nearly $20 million in damages ($700 million in 2015 dollars), and left “a great city reduced overnight to miles of rubble.” Roker introduces readers to such local figures as Galveston’s chief meteorologist, Isaac Cline, “a nationally recognized weather expert” who nevertheless failed to prepare the city for disaster; Annie and Ed McCullough, newlyweds whose home “lay two short blocks from the gulf beach”; and police chief Edwin N. Ketchum, a “proud Yankee veteran” who hosted popular annual picnics. He sets the stage for the drama with a comprehensive, but accessible history of Galveston, at the time “Texas’s greatest metropolis” and “one of the world’s greatest ports.” However, readers are left in the dark as to why Roker decided to retell this story now, and whatever resonances may exist with more recent events are left implied, rather than explored explicitly. Without more context or connection, readers will be left wondering what Roker’s goal might be. Agent: Mel Berger, William Morris Endeavor.
- premium: True
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March 15, 2015
NBC weather star Roker knows from storms. The one he describes here swept into Galveston, TX, in 1900 on 200-mile-an-hour winds and left 8,000 dead. Thus was an optimistic and frisky young America reminded that nature has the last word.
Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
- premium: True
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June 1, 2015
This is the story of the Galveston, TX, hurricane of 1900, considered to be the worst natural disaster in U.S. history. Focusing on the human experience of the storm, weather forecaster and author Roker (Don't Make Me Stop This Car) follows survivors before, during, and after the hurricane in order to elucidate what people on Galveston Island encountered as the storm raged through the city. Unlike other books devoted to the subject, such as Erik Larson's Isaac's Storm, Roker's account investigates the race relations of the time and the impacts of minorities living in Galveston both during the city's rise and in the aftermath of the disaster. While discussions of meteorology (and meteorological history) are broached, they are not the primary focus. Rather, Roker succeeds in presenting a broad overview of the event, emphasizing the individual experiences of residents. VERDICT Readers who are new to the subject would be well served in choosing this compelling work. However, those who are familiar with the event or who are looking for a more scholarly treatment should consider Larson's Isaac's Storm. [See Prepub Alert, 2/23/15.]--Laura Hiatt-Smith, Conifer, CO
Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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On the afternoon of September 8, 1900, two-hundred-mile-per-hour winds and fifteen-foot waves slammed into Galveston, the booming port city on Texas’s Gulf Coast. By dawn the next day, the city that hours earlier had stood as a symbol of America’s growth and expansion was now gone. Shattered, grief-stricken survivors emerged to witness a level of destruction never before seen: Eight thousand corpses littered the streets and were buried under the massive wreckage. Rushing water had lifted buildings from their foundations, smashing them into pieces, while wind gusts had upended steel girders and trestles, driving them through house walls and into...
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