Unknown Title

Title:

Storm surge : Hurricane Sandy, our changing climate, and extreme weather of the past and future / Adam Sobel.

Author:

Sobel, Adam H., 1967- author.

ISBN:

9780062304766

Personal Author:

Sobel, Adam H., 1967- author.

Edition:

First edition

Physical Description:

xxii, 314 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (some color), maps ; 24 cm

Content Type:

text

Media Type (RDA):

unmediated

Carrier Type:

volume

Abstract:

Examines the devastating and unprecedented events of Hurricane Sandy, using it to explain the Earth's changing climate and how to protect cities and coastal areas from the effects of huge storms.

Subject Term:

Hurricane Sandy, 2012.

Hurricanes -- United States -- History -- 21st century.

Climatic changes -- Forecasting.

Severe storms -- Forecasting.

Format:

Books

Available:*

Library	Item Barcode	Shelf Number	Status
Searching... Niagara Falls Public Library	34305005540045	551.552 SOBE	Searching... Unknown

A renowned scientist takes us through the devastating and unprecedented events of Hurricane Sandy, using it to explain our planet's changing climate, and what we need to do to protect ourselves and our cities for the future.

Was Hurricane Sandy a freak event--or a harbinger of things to come? Was climate change responsible? What connects the spiraling clouds our satellites saw from space, the brackish water that rose up over the city's seawalls, and the slow simmer of greenhouse gases? Why weren't we better prepared?

In this fascinating and accessible work of popular science, atmospheric scientist and Columbia University professor Adam Sobel addresses these questions, combining scientific explanation with first-hand experience of the event itself.

He explains the remarkable atmospheric conditions that gave birth to Sandy and determined its path. He gives us insight into the sophisticated science that led to the forecasts of the storm before it hit, as well as an understanding of why our meteorological vocabulary failed our leaders in warning us about this unprecedented storm--part hurricane, part winter-type nor'easter, fully deserving of the title "Superstorm."

Storm Surge brings together the melting glaciers, the shifting jet streams, and the warming oceans to make clear how our changing climate will make New York and other cities more vulnerable than ever to huge storms--and how we need to think differently about these long-term risks if we hope to mitigate the damage. Engaging, informative, and timely, Sobel's book provokes us to rethink the future of our climate and how we can better prepare for the storms to come.

Reviews (4)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Hurricane Sandy hit metropolitan New York hard in October 2012, knocking out power while ruining homes and businesses; it turned parts of Manhattan into swampland, flooded subway stations and transit tunnels, and devastated much of the Jersey shore. Though the damage it caused is irrefutable, the cause of the hurricane itself, says Columbia University atmospheric scientist Sobel, is up for debate. In this comprehensive volume, he looks at the science behind Sandy (and similar weather systems), examining the circumstances leading to it-"the left turn it took" in the ocean in "a radical departure from all known meteorological history"-and factors that made it a superstorm. How did it complete "its transition from a tropical cyclone to a mammoth hybrid"? Sobel diligently re-creates a timeline, from the early warnings issued by the National Hurricane Center to government evacuation orders to the impact Sandy had once it made landfall. Along the way, he provides substantial background information on what, exactly, a hurricane is and how the Fujiwhara effect-named for Japanese meteorologist Sakuhei Fujiwhara-applies to dueling vortices. Topics like these make for interesting, if technical, reading, and Sobel manages to strike an effective balance. (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Kirkus Review

Sobel (Environmental Sciences and Applied Physics and Mathematics/Columbia Univ.) grapples with the "complex questions involving science, engineering, politics, and human psychology" that arose in Hurricane Sandy's wake. The author, who spends much of his time at Columbia studying climate and extreme weather, looks to Hurricane Sandy as a good example to help explain the scientific modeling that predicted the hurricane's birth and path. Sandy was certainly an unusual eventin the past 150 years of keeping weather records, no hurricane has made the fast left turn she didand Sobel wants readers to comprehend Sandy as both a specific phenomenon and within the global picture, to understand the nature of Sandy and the atmospheric forces at play, which means a considerable dip into physics, meteorology and climatology. That dip turns out to be gratifying, as the author provides a readable introduction to patterns in the global atmosphere, their changes and the influence they have on weather events. Once through this basic course, which includes forays into hurricane science, winter weather and the history of forecasting, readers will walk away with a handle on the dynamics of weather systems. Sobel uses music to help explain coherent patterns applicable to weather, and he delivers approachable discussions of the Fujiwhara effect ("Two giant entities in the atmosphere, dangerous and powerful but elemental...normally solitary, each doing its own thing, engage with each other") and other phenomena. For tonal color, Sobel ends his examination of Sandy with a look at the Occupy movement and its role in recovery from the storm. He then shifts to a satisfying survey of updates and clarifications on the climate change front (including the vexing water-vapor issue) and the evolution of risk-management barriers and preventative measures. An engaged and engaging examination of "what current science allows us to say (or does not) about Sandy's relation to human-induced climate change." Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Booklist Review

Two years after Hurricane Sandy struck the Eastern Seaboard, flooding lower Manhattan and parts of Atlantic City, coastal residents are still cleaning up and rebuilding homes, while meteorologists and city planners contemplate what lessons can be learned from the natural disaster. As both an environmental sciences professor at Columbia University and someone who witnessed the devastation firsthand from his New York City apartment, Sobel has the perfect vantage point to mull over those lessons and offer insights about preparing for the next megastorm, as Sandy has been called. In 28 absorbing and instructive chapters, Sobel recounts the full history of the hurricane, including its warning signs and an explanation of the weather anomalies that forced Sandy to make a sudden left turn into the New Jersey coastline. He also explores the debate about how much climate change played a role in Sandy's devastating impact and examines how we can better respond to other extreme weather events. Must reading for earth-science and weather buffs and anyone living along the vulnerable passageways of potential future hurricanes.--Hays, Carl Copyright 2014 Booklist

Library Journal Review

Sobel is uniquely suited to write about Hurricane Sandy, the 2012 storm that hit the New York area. Beyond the author's credentials as accomplished atmospheric scientist and Columbia University professor, he is also a native New Yorker. This book fascinates in part because of its temporal shifts: Sobel's narrative of the developing cyclone is shown in "real time," which includes actual uppercase forecasts from the National Hurricane Center. The author looks back to explain some of the key discoveries in meteorology and forward to surmise what a warming planet could mean for future weather events. The work's simple two-part organization aids comprehension: the first alternates hurricane reports with chapters on the physics of cyclones and their prediction. The teacher in Sobel appreciates the utility of breaking hard science into smaller, more digestible bits, while the writer in him recognizes the drama of catastrophe. The second part deals with the thorny issue of hurricanes and climate change and reports on some amazing engineering solutions to the problem of rising seas. VERDICT Sobel presents rigorous science and acronyms and terminology abound (e.g., MJO, NAO, FFT, SST, Baroclinic effect, Coriolis force, Fujiwhara effect). But even without a glossary, the author makes complex subject matter intelligible and intriguing.-Robert Eagan, Windsor P.L., Ont. (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Author's Note	p. ix
Introduction	p. xv
Part 1 The Storm
1 Genesis	p. 3
2 MJO	p. 9
3 Monday, October 22	p. 21
4 NAO	p. 27
5 Tuesday, October 23	p. 33
6 Deadly Boring: The Hurricane Prone	p. 39
7 Hurricane Science 101	p. 47
8 Wednesday, October 24	p. 55
9 Winter Weather	p. 59
10 Thursday, October 25	p. 65
11 Where Weather Forecasts Came From	p. 75
12 Friday, October 26	p. 95
13 Fujiwhara	p. 103
14 Saturday, October 27	p. 111
15 Communicating the Threat: The Label on the Can versus the Fine Print	p. 127
16 Preparations	p. 133
17 Sunday, October 28	p. 139
18 Monday, October 29	p. 143
19 The Damage	p. 147
20 The Toll	p. 155
21 Immediate Aftermath	p. 159
Part 2 What Does It Mean, and What Should We Do?
22 The Climate Is Warming	p. 171
23 The Sea Is Rising	p. 181
24 Zeeland	p. 189
25 Hurricanes and Climate	p. 203
26 Barriers and Beaches Since 1938	p. 233
27 In Harm's Way	p. 249
28 What Happens Now?	p. 263
Afterword	p. 277
Acknowledgments	p. 285
Notes	p. 287
Selected Bibliography	p. 301
Index	p. 303

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