Category 5

The 1935 Labor Day Hurricane

Nonfiction, Science & Nature, Nature, Environment, Natural Disasters, History, Americas, United States, 20th Century
Cover of the book Category 5 by Thomas Neil Knowles, University Press of Florida
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Thomas Neil Knowles ISBN: 9780813047034
Publisher: University Press of Florida Publication: June 1, 2009
Imprint: University Press of Florida Language: English
Author: Thomas Neil Knowles
ISBN: 9780813047034
Publisher: University Press of Florida
Publication: June 1, 2009
Imprint: University Press of Florida
Language: English

In the midst of the Great Depression, a furious storm struck the Florida Keys with devastating force. With winds estimated at over 225 miles per hour, it was the first recorded Category 5 hurricane to make landfall in the United States.

Striking at a time before storms were named, the catastrophic tropical cyclone became known as the 1935 Labor Day Hurricane, and its aftermath was felt all the way to Washington, D.C.

In the hardest hit area of the Florida Keys, three out of every five residents were killed, while hundreds of World War I veterans sent there by the federal government perished.

By sifting through overlooked official records and interviewing survivors and the relatives of victims, Thomas Knowles pieces together this dramatic story, moment by horrifying moment. He explains what daily life was like on the Keys, why the veteran work force was there (and relatively unprotected), the state of weather forecasting at the time, the activities of the media covering the disaster, and the actions of government agencies in the face of severe criticism over their response to the disaster.

The Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 remains one of the most intense to strike America's shores. Category 5 is a sobering reminder that even with modern meteorological tools and emergency management systems, a similar storm could cause even more death and destruction today.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

In the midst of the Great Depression, a furious storm struck the Florida Keys with devastating force. With winds estimated at over 225 miles per hour, it was the first recorded Category 5 hurricane to make landfall in the United States.

Striking at a time before storms were named, the catastrophic tropical cyclone became known as the 1935 Labor Day Hurricane, and its aftermath was felt all the way to Washington, D.C.

In the hardest hit area of the Florida Keys, three out of every five residents were killed, while hundreds of World War I veterans sent there by the federal government perished.

By sifting through overlooked official records and interviewing survivors and the relatives of victims, Thomas Knowles pieces together this dramatic story, moment by horrifying moment. He explains what daily life was like on the Keys, why the veteran work force was there (and relatively unprotected), the state of weather forecasting at the time, the activities of the media covering the disaster, and the actions of government agencies in the face of severe criticism over their response to the disaster.

The Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 remains one of the most intense to strike America's shores. Category 5 is a sobering reminder that even with modern meteorological tools and emergency management systems, a similar storm could cause even more death and destruction today.

More books from University Press of Florida

Cover of the book Irish Cosmopolitanism by Thomas Neil Knowles
Cover of the book Rebel on Pointe by Thomas Neil Knowles
Cover of the book Borderland Narratives by Thomas Neil Knowles
Cover of the book Stinking Stones and Rocks of Gold by Thomas Neil Knowles
Cover of the book Souvenirs of the Old South by Thomas Neil Knowles
Cover of the book The Reluctant Republican by Thomas Neil Knowles
Cover of the book The African American Heritage of Florida by Thomas Neil Knowles
Cover of the book Harlot House by Thomas Neil Knowles
Cover of the book Reubin O'D. Askew and the Golden Age of Florida Politics by Thomas Neil Knowles
Cover of the book The History and Antiquities of the City of St. Augustine, Florida by Thomas Neil Knowles
Cover of the book A Relation, or Journal, of a Late Expedition, &c. by Thomas Neil Knowles
Cover of the book Islam and the Americas by Thomas Neil Knowles
Cover of the book Key West by Thomas Neil Knowles
Cover of the book Privacy in the New Media Age by Thomas Neil Knowles
Cover of the book By Avon River by Thomas Neil Knowles
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy