Hurricanes of the North Atlantic: Climate and Society

Called the greatest storms on the planet, hurricanes of the North Atlantic Ocean often cause tremendous social and economic upheaval in the United States, Mexico, and the Caribbean. And with the increasing development of coastal areas, the impact of these storms is likely to increase. This book provides a comprehensive analysis if North Atlantic hurricanes and what they mean to society. It is intended as an intermediary between hurricane climate research and the users of hurricane information. Topics include the climatology of tropical cyclones in general and those of the North Atlantic in particular; the major North Atlantic hurricanes, focusing on US landfalling storms; the prediction models used in forecasting; and societal vulnerability to hurricanes, including ideas for modeling the relationship between climatological data and analysis in the social and economic sciences.

"Hurricanes of the North Atlantic is well written and easy to follow....All in all, I take my hat off to the authors for producing this fine book....I did enjoy reading this newest book on hurricanes and wholeheartedly recommend it to others."--Stephen P. Leatherman, Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society

"A professor of meteorology and geography at Florida State University and a contractor for the US Naval Research Laboratory at NASA assess North Atlantic hurricanes and their consequences, covering historical data sets, hurricane statistics, prediction models used in forecasting, and societal vulnerability to hurricanes. Of likely interest to meteorologists, climatologists, and economists, as well as decision makers in government and industry."--SciTech Book News

"Elsner (Florida State Univ.) and Kara (NASA) offer an excellent review of past tropical storms. Every conceivable presentation--lists, figures, tables, and maps--shows how they have affected each coastal country from Texas to Maine as well as Puerto Rico, Jamaica, and Bermuda. The climatology data include frequency, duration, origins, tracks, and dissipation points. Cycles and trends are documented and compared to solar activity and volcanic activity. The history and current methods of prediction for both short-term tracks and future season activity are included. Differences between tropical-only and baroclinically-enhanced hurricanes are noted. Chapters are devoted to risks such as death, injury, and property damage. . . . Safety tips are provided, as well as discussion regarding catastrophe insurance. Recommended for lower-division undergraduates and the general public, especially those living along the coasts and those thinking about moving there."--Choice

"Hurricanes rival major earthquakes as the worst of natural disasters in terms of loss of life and property damage. Thus they are of considerable interest to many scientists and decision-makers, especially those involved in urban planning, disaster relief, and insurance. James Elsner and A. Birol Kara have written an account for such readers that emphasizes physical models to explain the relation of hurricane activity to meteorological and oceanographic events. . . . Elsner and Kara offer the most complete account and discussion of Atlantic hurricanes that I have encountered. Using newly researched 1900 data, they extend many of their analyses back to the year 1851. . . . Hurricanes of the North Atlantic is a suitable reference in applied climate science. I would certainly recommend it to those looking for up-to-date insight into the nature of Atlantic hurricane activity."--Science

"This book examines North Atlantic hurricanes with respect to both climate and society. The purpose is a comprehensive reference for users of hurricane information, which would include geographers, meteorologists, climate scientists, economists, and decision makers in government and industry. The emphasis is on physical models to explain statistical relationships of hurricane models to explain statistical relationships of hurricane activity with respect to weather and climate events. The book is suitable for use as a reference textbook for graduate and undergraduate courses in applied climate science, physical geography, economics, risk management, urban planning, and so on."--Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society

"This ambitious volume sets out to provide a comprehensive reference to North Atlantic hurricanes for all 'users of hurricane information', from meteorologists to decision-makers on government and industry. It also intended as a reference text for undergraduate and postgraduate study. With very few exception the book fills its objectives admirably. . .Overall, this book is an essential purchase for anyone with an interest in hurricanes. It will be prized for the accumulated statistics, comprehensive and up-to-date references, and for the reviews of research methods. Outside the field of atmospheric science, for example in the insurance industry, readers will find the content not only interesting, but potentially of great value in their work. . . Combining readability with considerable scientific merit, this well-written research tool deserves every success."--International Journal of Climatology