Tribune article by Cecilia Slingsby

Books weather many storms–published March 23, 2007

Each storm season reminds us of how powerful the forces of nature can be. Hurricanes Rita and Katrina changed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. Hastings Public Library has many books about weather events and predictions including both factual and folklore beliefs.

Randy Cerveny, a Nebraska native, has written about true weather stories in his book “Freaks of the Storm: From Flying Cows to Stealing Thunder.” One section, “The Oddest Weather Extremes” records facts such as the world’s highest and coldest temperature (136 degrees Fahrenheit and -129 degrees Fahrenheit), the biggest tornado (Tri-State Tornado in 1925) and the world’s official record for a one-minute rain fall (1.23 inches in a single minute in 1956). His research found many unusual happenings such as chickens with their feathers plucked completely by the wind of a hurricane and fish falling from the sky on houses and people. Cerveny explains how these bizarre phenomena can occur as well as how to survive severe weather events.

The book “Acts of God: The Old Farmer’s Almanac Unpredictable Guide to Weather & Natural Disasters” by Benjamin A. Watson contains many recorded unusual weather events too. Did you know that Montana had the largest snowflake ever recorded in 1887 measuring 15 inches across and 8 inches thick? Watson answers many questions about unusual weather events such as “why they don’t have hurricanes in Kansas” and “how your flower bed can save you during a wildfire.”

Read the book “The Weather Companion: An Album of Meteorological History, Science, Legend, and Folklore” by Gary Lockhart to learn how to observe, predict and protect yourself from bad weather. Learning about the science of weather has played a role in the folklore of every culture. More book titles that relate to weather sayings, jingles and superstitions are “Weather Wisdom: Facts and Folklore of Weather Forecasting” by Albert Lee, “Folklore of American Weather” by Eric Sloane and “Weather Proverbs of 1883”.

Find more weather information from these and other books at the Hastings Public Library.

Read a good review lately?

Seen an author on TV that caught your interest? If you are a Hastings Public Library patron, e-mail the library with the author, title, and how you heard about it, if possible. Be sure to include your name and phone number and we will notify you when the book has arrived.

For more help finding something to read try our reading suggestions lists.