Jay Barnes, director of the North Carolina Aquarium in Pine Knoll Shores (which is near Cape Lookout for you geography buffs), should know hurricanes. He hails from a state that has been hit or threatened by scores of them this century and in many centuries past. He’ll tell you, like any other “down easter” on the Carolina coast, that each storm has its own personality. from where it hits to how high its storm surge was to how it affects the people in its path. Starting way back in the 16th century, Barnes gives us the full story behind each hurricane to profoundly affect both North Carolina and Florida, in the respective books North Carolina’s Hurricane History and Florida’s Hurricane History .
Each book examines the storms in chronological order, first summarizing their paths and developments, and then focusing on what happened when they hit land. Barnes uses a variety of sources, from newspaper articles to weather observers’ journals to first-hand accounts from the survivors, to place us in the middle of each hurricane, from Panama City and Miami to Cape Fear and Kitty Hawk. Hundreds of pictures in each book also help to complete the picture of each storm. Also in each book are chapters on hurricane forecasting, nor’easters, and helpful tables which outline the deadliest and costliest storms to strike each state.
These books have a broad appeal, designed with hurricane buffs in mind but useful and educational for the general public as well. A hurricane tracking map is included in each book, as is a map of evacuation routes for each book’s respective state. Each book also offers tips on how to track a storm, what supplies to buy, and why and when to evacuate.
The bottom line: if you live on the coast, or have interests in the coastal areas of North Carolina or Florida, then I strongly suggest investing in one or both of these books. As history shows, neither of these states are invulnerable to powerful, devastating storms. A break from hurricane activity can dangerously lull the coastal population into a false sense of security, but as these Hurricane History books tell us, the “next great storm” is never far off.


Recommended: Yes