Category 5: The Story of Camille, Lessons Unlearned from America's Most Violent Hurricane Review

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Category 5: The Story of Camille, Lessons Unlearned from America's Most Violent Hurricane Review"Category 5" by Ernest Zebrowski and Judith A. Howard is one of the most absorbing books I have read on any topic during several decades of avid reading. The writing style and organization are superb, and the book reads like a smash adventure/mystery novel as it describes the all too real fury of Hurricane Camille of 1969.
The authors focus on the exciting (and often tragic) stories of individual people fighting for survival during Camille's onslaught. You can feel the water sloshing over you as you try to stay afloat on a small piece of what used to be your house, while brushing poisonous snakes off you as they compete for anything that will float. You feel the helpless rage of competent local officials in the aftermath of Camille as they encounter the stupidity of "outsiders" from the Federal Government. You smell the sweat and fear, see the pain and frustration, and taste the admixture of bravery and cowardice, brilliance and silliness, that always mark human behavior when a natural disaster strikes.
And, although "Category 5" was not written with Katrina in mind, you cannot help but see some startling parallels bewteen these two Evil Sisters, and to wonder whether we ever will learn and remember the proper lessons from natural disasters.
The nature, behavior, and effects of hurricanes are mysteries to most people, and it is natural to wonder how and why they do what they do. The authors recognize this curiosity, and provide some very clear explanations of how natural forces act to form and direct hurricanes and cause them to inflict immense damage. As I read these easily visualized explanations, I found myself saying "OK, now I see what a storm surge really is and how it forms", and "WHAT? I never would have believed a large river could flow backwards, but now I see how that can - and did - happen during Camille", and "Wow, now I understand why floodwaters are a lot more damaging than I had supposed!", and "Gee, no wonder Katrina was much easier to track than Camille, those guys in 1969 had to do a lot of 'guessing' with the primitive technology of that time". The science is presented smoothly and clearly, and there is no dreaded math to make the reader scratch his/her head and let loose an expletive or two.
Very early in the book we read a fascinating discussion of a "Southern Gentleman(?)" named Leander Perez as he applies, probably unknowingly, the principles of Machiavelli to become the political dictator of Plaquemine Parish in Louisiana. At first I wondered what this "historical political excursion" had to do with Camille, but I quickly realized that Zebrowski and Howard are giving us a fascinating, and disturbing, glimpse into Old Time Politics and its effect on the response to a natural disaster. (Does the reader need to ask how this becomes pertinent to the 2005 Katrina catastrophe?)
The authors brilliantly weave together the complex interactions of numerous individuals and organizations, good, bad, or indifferent, to produce an excellently written tapestry of the Camille disaster. In my opinion, this book should be made into a Hollywood movie - but under the tight control of Zebrowski and Howard!Category 5: The Story of Camille, Lessons Unlearned from America's Most Violent Hurricane Overview

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