Synopses & Reviews
In the Galveston hurricane of 1900-the mostfatal natural disaster in U. S. history-more than 6,000 souls perished. Yetthat number would have nearly doubled, had it not been for the warnings of Dr.Isaac Monroe Cline, who began his own life in the most modest of surroundings .. . but with the grandest of dreams.Although he grew up on a farm in Tennessee, all Cline ever wanted to do wasstudy the forces of nature. To that end, he even obtained a medical degreesolely so he could study the effect of weather on human health. He later joinedthe newly formed weather service and, fatefully, was stationed at Galvestonwhen the great hurricane struck.He was subsequently posted to New Orleans to cure the wildly inaccurateweather forecasts that had become an embarrassment to the service. While therehe gathered and restored early American portraits as a hobby, and Cline'scollection helped form the nucleus of the National Portrait Gallery. Yet theman the Associated Press called the smiling, genial climatologicalgenius never deviated from his lifelong goal to study the weather. Onehundred years after the Galveston hurricane, Isaac Monroe Cline is revered as atrue pioneer in his field.
Synopsis
More than six thousand souls perished in the September 8, 1900, hurricane that devastated the island town of Galveston, Texas. Men and women, rich and poor, black and white struggled alike in what was to that date the worst natural disaster in American history. Many more would have lost their lives, however, if it wasn't for the efforts of Dr. Issac Monroe Cline, section director at the Weather Bureau Headquarters. It was Cline who decided to raise the flags over the Weather Bureau, signaling an impending hurricane. He also spoke to large crowds of people in low-lying areas of the island, correctly predicting the unexpected force and direction of the storm.
This detailed autobiography, originally penned by Cline in 1945, chronicles his life and education before and after the deadly events at Galveston. It is a complete picture of him not just as a weather forecaster, but also as a small boy, a student, a survivor, and a meteorological scholar. It is supplemented with antique photographs and information from his textbook Characteristics of Tropical Cyclones.
More than one hundred years after the hurricane that would forever mark his career, Cline is still revered as a pioneer in his field. His work charting hurricanes, measuring their direction, speed, and precipitation, helped build the foundations for modern meteorology. Storms, Floods and Sunshine preserves the science and emotion behind the man the Associated Press called "the smiling, genial, climatological genius."
Synopsis
Commemorating the centennial of the great Galveston hurricane of 1900, this is a fascinating look back at the life of the stormis hero.