Hurricane Watch Forecasting Deadliest Storms

The extreme guide to the uttermost storms, Hurricane Watch is a arousing and attention holding blend of science and history from one of the world’s foremost meteorologists and an award-winning science journalist. This in-depth look at these awe-inspiring acts of nature covers everything from the earliest attempts by seafarers at predicting storms to the way satellite imaging is revolutionizing hurricane forecasting. It reveals the latest selective information on hurricanes: their effects on ocean waves, the causes of the variable wind speeds in dissimilar constituents of the storm, and the origins of the super-cooled shafts of water that vent at high altitudes. Hurricane Watch is a compelling history of man’s kinship with the deadliest storms on earth.

Includes:

- The story of the nineteenth-century Cuban Jesuit whose success at predicting the outstanding cyclones was considered almost mystical.

- A new look at Isaac Cline, whose notorious failure to predict the Galveston Hurricane left him obsessed with the excessive damage and destruction effects of storm surge.

- The story of the Hurricane Hunters, including the firstborn man ever to on purpose fly into a hurricane.

- A finish account of how computer modeling has changed hurricane tracking.

- A history of Project Stormfury: the only significant, organized crusade to reduce the damaging strength of severe hurricanes.

- A distinctive firsthand account of Hurricane Andrew by both authors, who were at the National Hurricane Center when Andrew struck.

- A listing of the deadliest storms in history.

From Publishers WeeklyThe powerful winds of the famous Galveston hurricane of 1900 drove mountains of surging water inland with little warning, and met with little understanding. Hurricanes are no dissimilar today, but thanks to advances in meteorology conceived by humans like Sheets, the former conductor of the National Hurricane Center and the wide dissemination of info by news media specially journalists like USA Today weather page founder Williams the United States public is much better prepared than in the past. While thousands passed from physical life amongst massive destruction at the turn of the century, monstrous Andrew destroyed billions of dollars in property in 1992, but took few lives. Sheets and Williams deliver an accessible history of how meteorologists have learned to understand and predict the course of these fearsome atmospheric giants. Except for a basic blunder in the description of satellite orbital mechanics, in which the writers describe a fictitious centrifugal strength rather of inertia, the technical writing is clear and accurate. Complementing the discussion of science and engineering science are stories of humane disaster and triumph and of the risks that still lurk along our coastlines. Readers will without apparent effort and eagerly follow the authors’ step-by-step look at advances in both meteorology and emergency response from the original known successful hurricane prophecy in the 16th century on Columbus’s fourth voyage to the New World through advances in instrumentation, satellite imagery, aircraft reconnaissance and computer modeling in the 20th century to the unsolved difficulties and the uncertainties of altering climate in the 21st.

From School Library JournalAdult/High School-A exhaustively satisfying, chronological investigation of the history and science of hurricanes. Early chapters set the stage with a discussion of 15th-18th-century understandings of atmospheric phenomena, from which point the writers coach readers through 19th- and 20th-century advances in psychological result of perception learning and reasoning and technology. They utilize bright accounts of monumental storms and of the humans who initiated groundbreaking proficiencies to improve the procedure of prophecy in the interest of saving lives. With it is dozen appendixes of facts on deadliest storms, as well as a glossary and worthful index, the book is structured in a way that would accommodate quick exploration by students. However, it is more outstanding value lies in a reading of the entirety as a arousing and attention holding exploration of the complex weather patterns that induce hurricanes and of the dedication of those who track them. This volume would be evenly viable for it is science or it is career perspectives.

Lynn Nutwell, Fairfax City Regional Library, VA

From Library JournalSheets and Williams, on the other hand, are experts in their fields. Sheets is a former conductor of the National Hurricane Center and a cited authority on hurricanes. Williams is the founder of the USA Today weather page and author of The Weather Book. Their book is both a comprehensive history of U.S. hurricane prophecy and a clear comprehensible statement of the science of hurricanes. Anyone who lives in hurricane-prone areas or is fascinated in hurricanes or science history will be grateful for this distinctly written work. Lay readers will perceive how hurricanes form, strengthen, and travel, and experts will take much from Sheets’s personal accounts of Hurricane Andrew, the history of hurricane hunter aircraft in forecasting, and the comprehensible statement of how technical advances have primarily bettered the science of hurricane forecasting. Storms will carry on to strike, but the writers show that we are much better prepared. Highly commended for all libraries, exceptionally those in hurricane-prone areas. Jeffrey Beall, Univ. of Colorado Lib., Denver
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Hurricane Watch Forecasting Deadliest Storms Picture

Hurricane Watch Forecasting Deadliest Storms Image

Hurricane Watch Forecasting Deadliest Storms Picture

Most helpful client reviews

14 of 14 humans found the following review helpful.
Well blow me down.
By Dennis Phillips
Ever since I was a child trapped inside by the pouring rain as the remnants of Camille passed over East Tennessee, I have been fascinated by hurricanes. With that in mind, this book was hard to resist. Especially since I had expended numerous hours observing Dr. Sheets on television. It is finelooking evident altho that Jack Williams did most of the writing and for those of us who are not that intimate with the science of meteorology that is a very good thing for this is a very perplexed subject and dumbing down is incisively what I needed.

This book is not so much a book regarding major hurricanes as it is a history of the predicting of hurricanes. From Columbus to the present satellites and Doppler schemes this book tells the story of man’s attempts to guess what Mother Nature is up to. There is even a chapter when it comes to attempts to in truth control hurricanes.

Even with the simple way the writers attempted to tell their story I was lost at times but not all too often. For a trained meteorologist this book would in all likelihood seem closely childish, but for the intermediate person like myself it is just regarding right. I still don’t wholly understand everything in regards to wind sheer, computer models, and latent heat but I am at least intimate with the terms now. From now on, as a hurricane approaches the U.S. coast and I sit there in front of the TV I will have a vague idea of how the computer models work and will know all in regards to the Bermuda high.

The chapter I found the most interesting was the chapter in regards to hurricane Andrew. That is the kind of thing I was actually looking for in this book but even altho I only found one chapter of what I had been looking for, I still found this book to be highly informative, interesting, and well written. I imagine that Dr. Sheets could write an entire book on Andrew, and I wish he would

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful.
Lots of good information!
By L. Stine
I was in the middle of reading this book when Hurricane Katrina started heading toward us here in Louisiana. While every one else was talking regarding the hurricane and it is projected path, I was capable to perceive precisely what the forecasters were talking about. This book explains the dynamics of a hurricane very well – how, where and why they form, and an comprehensible statement of the weather phenomena that forecasters (and divination models) use to project it is path.

One thing this book has made me realize is that weather is an imperfect science. It seems some humans think forecasters are pointless because they’re many times wrong, but what they don’t realize is that there is a LOT we don’t recognise regarding weather. And we’re a lot better off knowing what we know today! It is likewise strange to proceed reading this after Katrina, because there is mention of intense, deadly hurricanes all around history – and Katrina has in truth set a new precedent (Rewrite? Heck, I’d buy a 2nd edition!). This is a book that calls for a re-reading anyway. It is so jam-packed with interesting information. There are a lot of explanations of weather phenomena that I had to read assorted times over because I’m not a scientifically-minded person. This book explains things very well – but I find that with weather-talk, it helps to have diagrams. Unfortunately, this book has very few (in fact, looking through, I may only find one diagram).

This book has magnificent appendices! –> A list of hurricane names (2001-06), retired hurricane names. The hurricane probabilities chart is exceptionally arousing and attention holding – it lists names of Atlantic/Gulf coast cities and the prospects of a hurricane/major hurricane hitting within a given year (Miami/Ft Lauderdale appear to be the two most vulnerable areas). Strongest hurricanes, most deadly hurricanes, most highpriced hurricanes (including what past hurricanes would cost today). A glossary of foretelling models. A discerned glossary of hurricane terminology. All splendid additions to this book!!

If you are reading this review, it means you’re mesmerized in hurricane books. And if that’s the case, you NEED to read this one! – particularly if you don’t know much with regards to the dynamics of hurricanes. (and if you live on either the Atlantic or Gulf coast)

5 of 5 humans found the following review helpful.
You will re-read this book each Hurricane season
By JG
Hurricane Watch must be read and re-read, from those who trade on Wall Street, to the retail pits in Chicago, from history buffs to the millions of “closet” weather fanatics, not to mention the almost 100 million American’s that are at risk by the most damaging storm on Earth!

Hurricane Watch graciously details the past, present and future casualties and catastrophic economic losses that hurricanes have developed and will unleash in the not-so-distant future… Sheets and Williams do a vast occupation of “filling in the holes” of why meteorologists pursue the perfective hurricane forecast.

See all 13 client reviews…

Hurricane Watch Forecasting Deadliest Storms