What Stands in a Storm
Three Days in the Worst Superstorm to Hit the South's Tornado Alley
Kim Cross
Immersive reporting and dramatic storytelling set you right in the middle of the horrific superstorm of April 2011, a weather event that killed 348 people.
April 27, 2011, marked the climax of a superstorm that saw a record 358 tornadoes rip through twenty-one states in three days, seven hours, and eighteen minutes. It was the deadliest day of the biggest tornado outbreak in recorded history, which saw 348 people killed, entire neighborhoods erased, and $11 billion in damage. The biggest of the tornadoes left scars across the land so wide they could be seen from space. But from the terrible destruction emerged everyday heroes, neighbors and strangers who rescued each other from hell on earth.
With powerful emotion and gripping detail, Cross weaves together the heart-wrenching stories of several characters—including three college students, a celebrity weatherman, and a team of hard-hit rescuers—to create a nail-biting chronicle in the Tornado Alley of America. No, it’s not Oklahoma or Kansas; it’s Alabama, where there are more tornado fatalities than anywhere in the US, where the trees and hills obscure the storms until they’re bearing down upon you. For some, it’s a story of survival, and for others it’s the story of their last hours.
Cross’s immersive reporting and dramatic storytelling sets you right in the middle of the very worst hit areas of Alabama, where thousands of ordinary people witnessed the sky falling around them. Yet from the disaster comes a redemptive message that’s just as real: In times of trouble, the things that tear our world apart also reveal what holds us together. (from Netgalley)
April 27, 2011, marked the climax of a superstorm that saw a record 358 tornadoes rip through twenty-one states in three days, seven hours, and eighteen minutes. It was the deadliest day of the biggest tornado outbreak in recorded history, which saw 348 people killed, entire neighborhoods erased, and $11 billion in damage. The biggest of the tornadoes left scars across the land so wide they could be seen from space. But from the terrible destruction emerged everyday heroes, neighbors and strangers who rescued each other from hell on earth.
With powerful emotion and gripping detail, Cross weaves together the heart-wrenching stories of several characters—including three college students, a celebrity weatherman, and a team of hard-hit rescuers—to create a nail-biting chronicle in the Tornado Alley of America. No, it’s not Oklahoma or Kansas; it’s Alabama, where there are more tornado fatalities than anywhere in the US, where the trees and hills obscure the storms until they’re bearing down upon you. For some, it’s a story of survival, and for others it’s the story of their last hours.
Cross’s immersive reporting and dramatic storytelling sets you right in the middle of the very worst hit areas of Alabama, where thousands of ordinary people witnessed the sky falling around them. Yet from the disaster comes a redemptive message that’s just as real: In times of trouble, the things that tear our world apart also reveal what holds us together. (from Netgalley)
My Thoughts
Having lived in the Midwest most of my life, I am no stranger to tornado warnings. Thankfully, I have never experienced a tornado and hope I never will. Recently, it occurred to me that I have become a bit too lackadaisical with regards to heeding the tornado warnings. Not long ago, I was actually getting mad at the weather person for interrupting my TV show (Sponge Bob).
This book is a prime example of why we should all take tornado warnings seriously. People who did everything they were supposed to still lost their lives. How stupid of me to think something as simple as going to the basement is too much trouble. Not anymore.
This is an intense - educational - heartbreaking yet uplifting story. We learn about how tornados are formed and a brief history of the national weather service. We get to ride along with storm chasers. And we spend time with individuals as they ride out the tornado - some who survived and some who did not,
The author did an outstanding job of making this a very interesting story. I learned alot and I have a new respect for tornados and tornado warnings.
Many thanks to Atria Books, via Netgalley, for allowing me to read this in exchange for an unbiased review.
No comments:
Post a Comment