The Law of Storms: The true story of the RMS Rhone and the great Virgin Islands hurricane of 1867

On October 29, 1867 a powerful Category 3 hurricane made a direct hit on the Virgin Islands sinking one of the world’s most luxurious passenger ships, the "Rhone." "The Law of Storms" is the fascinating true story of that ship, her two rival captains and the critical role that both luck and skill played in their lives. It is also a riveting survival story and the account of a series of natural disasters—a hurricane, a yellow fever outbreak, an earthquake and a tsunami—all taking place in less than a month’s time. Today the "Rhone" rests in relatively shallow water near Tortola in the British Virgin Islands and is one of the Caribbean’s most popular dive sites. The BVI, along with so many other Caribbean islands, suffered heartbreaking damage in September 2017 from a direct hit by yet another monster storm, Hurricane Irma. The two hurricane events are almost exactly 150 years apart. As the people of these beautiful and much-loved islands work to rebuild their lives and welcome visitors back, the "Rhone" and her compelling true story will be one more reason for people to return. She is part of their past and will be an important part of their future."The Law of Storms" is a non-fiction book that reads like a novel, an exciting read for divers, travelers and anyone curious to connect with a time past, but not unlike our own, a time of great scientific discoveries, natural disasters and a determination to recover and rebuild. Author and award-winning journalist, Joan Martelli, has dived into unique and difficult to access first-hand resource material to come up with a complete and captivating narrative of one of the world’s most dramatic shipwrecks.