Book Review

Roar of the Heavens, Stefan Bechtel, Citadel Press (2006)

I heard about this storm when I arrived in Nelson County. When I read in the local paper that a new book on this storm was being published, I had to read it.

Bechtel’s book on Hurricane Camille reads like a thriller. This hurricane’s destruction in August 1969 is not widely known like Katrina (2005) or Andrew (1992), but it was one of the most powerful and unique hurricanes to ever hit our mainland. Talking to survivors, Bechtel’s creates a compelling page-turner.

The first part is about Camille, an intense category five storm, hitting land on the Gulf coast near Pass Christian, Mississippi where it wiped out towns and killed 23 people. The second part is when Camille strikes Nelson County. The author’s description of the storm seems science fiction if it wasn’t true. Camille dumped around 27 inches in 8 hours. People said it was like a bucket being poured over their head. Many families never had a warning and massive flooding and mudslides washed away families and structures. A light summer rain turned into a nightmare killing over 100 people here. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up as I read this section. We actually drove through the hardest hit areas to a hike up Crabtree Falls. When I was moving up the mountainside I looked and even touched the boulders that were probably exposed during this storm. I imaged them coming down into my house. You feel very humble. Those who loved John Berry’s book Rising Tide about the 1927 Mississippi flood should read this book. Well, everyone should read this book to ponder the last chapter where Bechtel talks about Katrina and how we, as human beings, forget the disasters and repeat history as we rebuild on coasts and flood plains.
--Bryan