Taken by Storm, 1938: A Social and Meteorological History of the Great New England Hurricane - Softcover

Avilés, Lourdes B.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 194497024X ISBN 13: 9781944970246

Publisher: American Meteorological Society, 2018

Synopsis

On September 21, 1938, one of the most powerful storms of the twentieth century came unannounced into the lives of New Yorkers and New Englanders, leaving utter devastation in its wake. The Great Hurricane, as it came to be known, changed everything from the landscape and its inhabitants’ lives, to Weather Bureau practices and the measure of relief New Englanders would receive in the final years of the Great Depression.

The storm formed near the Cape Verde Islands on September 10, but was not spotted until several days later, and was predicted by the understaffed Weather Bureau to head toward Florida. Junior forecaster Charlie Pierce correctly projected the northerly storm track, but senior meteorologists ignored his forecast, a mistake that cost many lives—including those of immigrants who had arrived to the Northeast in waves in the preceding decades. Updated for the 80th anniversary of the hurricane, this compelling history successfully weaves science, historical accounts, and social analyses to create a comprehensive picture of the most powerful and devastating hurricane to hit New England to date.

About this title

About the Author:

Lourdes B. Avilés is professor at Plymouth State University’s Meteorology Program in Plymouth, New Hampshire. She is a member of the AMS History Committee on the History of Atmospheric Science and the AMS Board on Higher Education and a liaison to the AMS Board on Women and Minorities.

About this edition

• Publisher: American Meteorological Society
• Publication date: 2018
• ISBN 10: 194497024X
• ISBN 13: 9781944970246
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 292