Hurricanes

With the impact hurricanes have had on us this past week, you might want to hunker down this weekend and browse some books, watch a video, and check out some related websites.

(Click on the titles to request the books from our library catalog or call us at 781-235-1610)
Inside the hurricane : face to face with nature's deadliest storms
by Pete Davies. 2000.
Pete Davies "tracks the greatest hurricanes in history and takes you along for a wild ride as he recounts his experiences following and flying directly into the worst storms of 1999 with the scientists who do it for a living; he explores the science of why hurricanes occur and how to predict their onslaughts more accurately; and he describes the mounting panic of those frantically making preparations as 1999's biggest storm, Floyd, looms." (book jacket)

Hurricane watch : forecasting the deadliest storms on earth by Bob Sheets and Jack Williams. 2001.

From hurricane hunters and satellite imaging to the impact on ocean waves, storm surge, and Project StormFury, the authors weave together history and science to provide a big picture of hurricanes. Highly recommended by 5 major library journals.





Storm that drowned a city written, produced, and directed by Caroline Penry-Davey, Peter Chinn ; a Pioneer production for Nova in association with WGBH/Boston, Five, Spiegel TV and Arte. 2006. (DVD)

Featuring eyewitness testimony, NOVA takes an in-depth look at what made Hurricane Katrina so deadly and analyzes how, despite technically sophisticated flood and storm defenses, this event has resulted in unprecedented destruction for the Gulf Coast. There is a companion website available at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/orleans/with interactives, time line, and interviews. Check it out!

Also click on these web resources for more up to the minute information:

NASA's Hurricane Resource Page. Your tax dollars at work! An incredible site with satellite images and other imagery (some from the Space Station) of our weekend storms including Hannah and Ike on the East Coast. Track them and other tropical storms as they progress. Also check on storms of the past. NASA shares lots of educational information on hurricanes and technology used in tracking them.

National Weather Service National Hurricane Center
Another government agency providing up to date information on storms through satellite, radar, and aircraft reconnaisance. They also provide podcasts and hurricane history.