About this item
We might think humans have control over our environment, but Mother Nature has proven us wrong again and again. Earth, Wind, Fire, and Rain: Real Tales of Temperamental Elements tells the story of five of America's deadliest natural disasters that were made worse by human error, ignorance, and greed. For example, in the fall of 1871, loggers and farmers chopped trees and burned brush in the vast forest around Peshtigo, Wisconsin. Fire was a tool they believed they could control. But on October 8, 1 million acres burned in the deadliest fire in American history. Later that century, meteorologists mistakenly predicted clearing skies for New York City on March 10, 1888. Then, two devilish storm fronts collided in what was called the Great White Hurricane.
About the Author
Judy Dodge Cummings writes fiction and nonfiction for children and teens from her home in the Driftless region of Wisconsin. She is the author of many nonfiction books for the school and library market. History informs Cummings' writing. She taught high school history for 26 years, a career that shaped her story-telling skills. Cummings earned two BA's from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, one in Psychology and one in Social Science, and a MFA in Creative Writing for Children and Young Adults from Hamline University.
