NBC weather star Roker knows from storms. The one he describes here swept into Galveston, TX, in 1900 on 200-mile-an-hour winds and left 8,000 dead. Thus was an optimistic and frisky young America reminded that nature has the last word.

This is the story of the Galveston, TX, hurricane of 1900, considered to be the worst natural disaster in U.S. history. Focusing on the human experience of the storm, weather forecaster and author Roker (Don't Make Me Stop This Car) follows survivors before, during, and after the hurricane in order to elucidate what people on Galveston Island encountered as the storm raged through the city. Unlike other books devoted to the subject, such as Erik Larson's Isaac's Storm, Roker's account investigates the race relations of the time and the impacts of minorities living in Galveston both during the city's rise and in the aftermath of the disaster. While discussions of meteorology (and meteorological history) are broached, they are not the primary focus. Rather, Roker succeeds in presenting a broad overview of the event, emphasizing the individual experiences of residents. VERDICT Readers who are new to the subject would be well served in choosing this compelling work. However, those who are familiar with the event or who are looking for a more scholarly treatment should consider Larson's Isaac's Storm. [See Prepub Alert, 2/23/15.]—Laura Hiatt-Smith, Conifer, CO