More than six thousand souls perished in the September 8, 1900, hurricane that devastated the island town of Galveston, Texas. Men and women, rich and poor, black and white struggled alike in what was to that date the worst natural disaster in American history. Many more would have lost their lives, however, if it wasn't for the efforts of Dr. Issac Monroe Cline, section director at the Weather Bureau Headquarters. It was Cline who decided to raise the flags over the Weather Bureau, signaling an impending hurricane. He also spoke to large crowds of people in low-lying areas of the island, correctly predicting the unexpected force and direction of the storm.
This detailed autobiography, originally penned by Cline in 1945, chronicles his life and education before and after the deadly events at Galveston. It is a complete picture of him not just as a weather forecaster, but also as a small boy, a student, a survivor, and a meteorological scholar. It is supplemented with antique photographs and information from his textbook Characteristics of Tropical Cyclones.
More than one hundred years after the hurricane that would forever mark his career, Cline is still revered as a pioneer in his field. His work charting hurricanes, measuring their direction, speed, and precipitation, helped build the foundations for modern meteorology. Storms, Floods and Sunshine preserves the science and emotion behind the man the Associated Press called "the smiling, genial, climatological genius."
