Sign Up | Log In

Write a Review
Post a Quick Tip
Create a List
Ask a Question
Create a Poll
Create a Community

Movies •Books •Music •Food •Tv Shows •Technology •Politics •Video Games •Parenting •Fashion •Green Living •more >

Lunch » Tags » Books » Reviews » The Raging Sea: The Powerful Account of the Worst Tsunami in U.S. History

The Raging Sea: The Powerful Account of the Worst Tsunami in U.S. History

1 rating: 4.0

2005 non-fiction book by Dennis M. Powers

TSUNAMI One Night. One Disaster. One American Town Devastated in the Blink of an Eye. On Good Friday, 1964, the town of Crescent City, California was bustling as it prepared for the long Easter weekend. No one there knew that thousands of … see full wiki

Tags: Books, Nonfiction, History, Environment, Natural Disasters, Disasters, see all

Genre: Nonfiction, Weather

Publisher: Citadel

Date Published: February 5, 2005

1 review about The Raging Sea: The Powerful Account of...

Showing 1-1 of 1

Sort by:

And now it has happened again in Crescent City!

Mar 12, 2011

by drifter51
posted in Cafe Libri: Reviewing Books & More

Rating:

Watching the heartbreaking reports eminating from the East Coast of Japan one cannot help but be dumbfounded by the awesome power of Mother Nature and the fragility of our existence on this planet. Being from the East Coast I simply cannot fathom the sheer terror of being caught up in a tsunami. Sure, we have powerful hurricanes to deal with on a fairly regular basis but in most cases people have plenty of advance notice and time to evacuate or make adequate preparations. This was certainly not the case yesterday in Japan or for the good people of Crescent City, California on the evening of March 27, 1964.

In "The Raging Sea: The Powerful Account of The Worst Tsunami in U.S. History" author Dennis Powers has done a workmanlike job of recreating the events of that horrible and heartbreaking night nearly four decades ago. You will come to understand just what forces in nature bring about these killer waves. Knowing little or nothing about tsunamis I was stunned to learn that an earthquake in Alaska could set in motion natural forces that would ultimately wreak death and destruction all along the West Coast on that fateful night. The residents of Crescent City and numerous other coastal towns had virtually no time to prepare. And they were really quite unaware of the dangers they were facing. Dennis Powers tells this remarkable story through the words of many of those who lived through it. It is compelling reading.

Once the seas finally began to recede and sunrise approached residents would come to realize the magnitude of the destruction. In downtown Crescent City there was practically nothing left. Eleven people had lost their lives and dozens more were injured. Virtually every building had been destroyed, roads were impassable and phone and electric service were non-existent. The smell of rotting fish was everywhere. Crescent City had endured the brunt of the tsunami and the community would face the monumental task of cleaning up and rebuilding after this disaster. Survivors could not help but wonder if their lives would ever be the same again. And now sad to say it has happened once again. Initial reports indicate that eight foot waves from the Japan tsunami have destroyed much of Crescent City harbor and most if not all of its crab fishing fleet has been lost. Furthermore, at least 4 people were swept into the sea and one is feared dead.

Given the events of the past 24 hours there is likely to be renewed interest in "The Raging Sea". From what I have been able to gather this book is currently out of print but copies can still be had at various booksellers online. They are likely to be snapped up quickly. Author Dennis M Powers has written several books about the sea and maintains his own website www.dennispowersbooks.com You might want to check it out. Perhaps he will now consider publishing a revised edition of this book. Personally, I found "The Raging Sea: The Powerful Account of The Worst Tsunami in U.S. History" to be an engaging and well written book. Dennis Powers certainly managed to hold my attention from cover to cover. Highly recommended.