Bryan Norcross's pioneering and courageous TV coverage of Hurricane Andrew in 1992 helped thousands of people in Florida cope with the killer storm. With hurricanes back in the headlines and destined to stay there, one of America's leading experts offers a unique almanac compiling hundreds of nuggets of fascinating, useful, and potentially life-saving information. Bryan Norcross's Hurricane Almanac 2006 reviews the catastrophic season of 2005, including Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma, looks forward to hurricane seasons to come, highlights the fascinating history of hurricanes interacting with civilization, and details our rapidly increasingly ability -- but still with limitations -- to predict the severity and paths of storms. Key sections offer checklists of items needed to make homes, businesses, and people safe during storms, and where to find the best information before and during a storm and how to best interpret it. Bryan will also include a provocative chapter entitled: What I'd do better: ideas for a better hurricane system.

Essential Information from CBS News' Hurricane Analyst Bryan Norcross's pioneering and courageous TV coverage of Hurricane Andrew in 1992 helped millions of people in Florida cope with the killer storm. This revised and updated version of last year's popular almanac adds detailed stories of the powerful hurricanes of the past that would be catastrophes if they happened today and explores how explosive coastal development during a time of relatively few hurricanes has set the stage for mega-disasters. If hurricanes make landfall today at the rate they did in much of the twentieth century, how could we prevent the unimaginable destruction? A new section will also help you better understand hurricane advisories. Bryan Norcross's Hurricane Almanac is two books in one. The first half is hurricane science, history, and perspectives on how we, as a society, deal with hurricanes. The second half is a personal guide to "Living Successfully in the Hurricane Zone." In addition to reviewing and explaining the relatively mild 2006 hurricane season, it looks forward to hurricane seasons to come, highlights the fascinating history of hurricanes interacting with civilization, and details our rapidly increasingly ability---but still with limitations---to predict the severity and tracks of storms. With preparation checklists and shopping lists, an easy-to-understand guide to the technical information coming from the National Hurricane Center, and critical practical information, Hurricane Almanac is your essential guide to coping with Mother Nature's greatest storms. A provocative chapter entitled: How I'd Do It Better details Norcross's ideas for a better hurricane system. -Family Communications -Evacuation Decision-making -Staying in a House -Staying in an Apartment -Shutters -Hurricane-proof Windows -Backup Power -Generators -Computer Hurricane Plan -Post-storm Air-Conditioning -Candles -Pool Preparation -Pets, Boats, Cars, and Businesses -Insurance

A hurricane is a tropical storm with winds that have reached a constant speed of 74 miles per hour or more. Hurricane winds blow in a large spiral around a relative calm centre known as the "eye." The "eye" is generally 20 to 30 miles wide, and the storm may extend outward 400 miles. As a hurricane approaches, the skies will begin to darken and winds will grow in strength. As a hurricane nears land, it can bring torrential rains, high winds, and storm surges. A single hurricane can last for more than 2 weeks over open waters and can run a path across the entire length of the eastern seaboard. August and September are peak months during the hurricane season that lasts from 1 June to 30 November. This book presents the facts and history of hurricanes.

"A million facts that range from merely interesting to absolutely vital." -- Louisiana Life " Having [Louisiana Almanac] . . . is like having all the answers to what is happening in the State of Louisiana." -- The Louisiana Weekly "An invaluable tool to people looking to move into the area." -- The Slidell Sentry-News Known for its politics, its natural resources, and its colorful history, the Pelican State is one of the most interesting in America. For more than fifty years, Louisiana Almanac has been the authoritative guide to a million facts about Louisiana, and this painstakingly updated seventeenth edition consists of 720 useful pages of information for ready reference. The wealth of maps, charts, tables, and graphs makes the data and statistics easily accessible as well. No Louisiana business, classroom, or library should be without a current copy of the Louisiana Almanac.