Was there a time when hurricanes were as bad as the storms currently hitting the United States and the Caribbean? Filmmaker Oliver Twinch’s PBS-aired NOVA documentary takes a look at hurricanes, focusing in particular on the so-called Great Hurricane of 1780, a perfect storm that was so massive it took nine days to cross the Caribbean, ultimately killing some 22,000 people. Killer Hurricanes follows the work of various hurricane historians who are piecing together facts about the 1780 disaster from written accounts, computer simulations, and clues from ruins. What they discover is a monster-size event that one hopes we will never see the likes of again. In addition to the 1780 hurricane, the film also explores other massive hurricanes from time past, with some of the most interesting material devoted to researchers’ almost miraculous methods for looking back into pre-history. Deep samples from the Earth’s crust and ancient stalagmites in caves reveal clear pictures of hurricane activity from eons ago that help scientists understand patterns and causes. An interesting exploration of a frighteningly timely subject, this is recommended. [Note: also newly available at the same price are Killer Floods and Killer Volcanoes.] Aud: H, C, P. (T. Keogh)
Killer Hurricanes
(2017) 60 min. DVD: $24.99 ($54.99 w/PPR). PBS Video. ISBN: 978-1-5317-0231-1. Volume 33, Issue 3
Killer Hurricanes
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