A New Book on Mid-Atlantic Hurricanes

Blog reader Rick Schwartz has written a book called "Hurricanes and the Middle Atlantic States (A Surprising History... From Jamestown to the Present." He sent me a copy last week and I was impressed. The book reminds us that, in the day and age where you think everything can be found on the Internet, it really can't. Rick has done the homework on this book, stuffing in dozens of unique interviews and photos from mid-Atlantic residents (and experts, he gets background info on the Saffir-Simpson scale [WikiPedia] from Saffir himself!)

Mainly concentrating on Virginia through Pennsylvania, the book examines major storms that affected the area between 1609 (240 years before official records begin!) to 2004, including major Nor'easters. Rick comes to a number of conclusions in the book, and believes that knowing our hurricane history can help to better prepare us for the future. To quote his website:

"An awareness of past severe weather events, effective preparation and mitigation, is an important part of homeland security. A knowledge of hurricane history is crucial. Never have so many lives and so much property been at stake. A knowledge of prior hurricanes enables intelligent planning. It is a basis for comparison and further research. It motivates and contributes to a resolve to fare better when the next Big One arrives. And the Big One will."

Rick also writes a monthly column about hurricanes on the site. To order the book, follow the instructions on MidAtlanticHurricanes.com.