Isaac's Storm by Erik Larson

My Opinion

While reading this book for a meteorology and history seminar, I learned a lot about the deadly hurricane that hit Galveston, Texas in 1900. Although the storm is still rated as the deadliest hurricane in history, not many people really know about it. The book included specific stories that have been documented from storm victims. The author also covered a lot about weather patterns and the evolution of weather tools to help me get a better understanding of how weather was predicted without a lot of experience and/or technology. In class we we were able to share our opinions about whether or not we agree with the idea that Isaac Cline, a very well-known and knowledgeable weatherman at the time, was "responsible" for the damage and deaths the hurricane caused.

I’m conflicted on how I feel about the level of responsibility Isaac Cline has for the hurricane that destroyed Galveston in 1900. I know that no person can control the weather of course, and even with modern technology, weather and storms can be unpredictable or do “abnormal” things. Weather could not accurately be predicted or forecasted in the 1800’s and early 1900’s because we were still in a time where some people believed weather was religious and scientists could only forecast weather based on storm patterns in the past. Isaac took over the Galveston weather station ten years before the hurricane hit and he was well-known and trusted by others in the weather study field and by the general public. People believed what he said and I think Isaac was kind of cocky in a way because he believed he was the best at what he did and nobody was better. Isaac somehow missed very big warning signs of a huge storm coming and I’m not sure if it’s because he really didn’t know they were warning signs, or if it was because his confident personality made him think he knew better than to worry. For example, Isaac noted changes in temperatures,sky color, air pressure, timing of waves, and winds but the book made me think he barely saw a problem with these signs. I think he was basing the hurricane too much on history. I think his mindset was “storms in past haven’t destroyed the city, so this one won’t either.” Isaac really didn’t realize the severity of the storm until he was fighting for his and his family’s lives as his house and entire town was underwater from flooding.