From killer storms to their implications for the insurance premiums of U.S. residents, this much-awaited update explores the ecological, social, and economic consequences of hurricanes and their effects on both coastal and inland areas.
In September 1776 the so-called “Hurricane of Independence” hit Canada and the northeastern United States, leading to 4,170 deaths. In 1900 around 8,000 perished in the Galveston Hurricane and the resulting tidal surge. Coastal defenses, early warning systems, and evacuation procedures have improved enormously. However, hurricanes still pose a potentially devastating threat to life and property, especially in coastal regions of the United States and the Caribbean. What causes these extreme storms? How can we best defend ourselves?
Hurricanes: A Reference Handbook explores the historical, ecological, economic, and social dimensions of hurricanes in North America. Synthesizing literature from a wide range of authoritative sources, this book is an invaluable guide to hurricanes and their impact and is essential reading for students, scientists, mariners, and coastal residents alike.
Features
- A unique three-part chronology of the science of hurricanes, from the time of Sir Isaac Newton to the latest discoveries in quantitative climatology
- A thorough description of the key government agencies and other bodies concerned with the preparation for, study, and forecasting of hurricanes
Contemporary World Issues
This award-winning series offers comprehensive, one-volume reference handbooks on important topics related to health, education, the environment, and social and ethical issues.
24-hour cable news. Millions of internet sites. Information overload. How can we sort through the information? Assess the analyses? Trust the sources?
A world of questions demands a library of answers.
Contemporary World Issues covers the controversial topics that students, readers, and citizens want to read about, write about, and know more about.
Features
Subject coverage spans six main categories:
- Criminal Justice
- Environment
- Gender and Ethnicity
- Politics, Law, and Government
- Science, Technology, and Medicine
- Society
Each volume offers a rich array of resources:
- A background and history essay that provides essential context and grounding for further study
- A balanced summary of ongoing controversies and proposed solutions that show numerous paths for further research on pressing, contemporary questions
- A forum of authoritative perspective essays by experts, offering a broad spectrum of arguments on the issues
- Carefully selected annotated documents, tables, and graphs that support statistical literacy and investigation of primary sources
- A chronology of events, legislation, and movements that place events in sequence and draw connections between them
- Annotated lists of print, web, and multimedia resources that power the next steps for in-depth research
- Profiles of key players and organizations
- A glossary of key terms
