A good smorgasbord to get you started. Excellent bibliography.

History professor writes eye-witness account of Hurricane Katrina and the devastation of the Gulf Coast.

According to the author, no one could have been prepared for the 1938 hurricane's speed and ferocity. Sweeping northward from Cape Hatteras, building tremendous momentum as it advanced, the storm raced over six hundred miles in only twelve hours. Another good book about the 'Long Island Express.'

An engrossing account of the 1906 'Frisco Earthquake. Good photos

the hurricane that destroyed Galveston, Texas a little over 100 years ago

humanity's losing war against its deadliest enemies

Newly emerging viruses, and the possibility of our extinction. Scary!

not a good book for those of us who like to read about catastrophes from a comfortable psychological distance.

The volcano Mount Pelee, on the Caribbean island of Martinique did not behave according to scientific expectations. Almost 27,000 people died on the morning of May 8, 1902 because, according to this book's author, no one had ever heard of a nuee ardente (pyroclastic flow) until after the destruction of Saint-Pierre.

There's lots of physics (and some biology, archeology, and sociology) in 'Perils' but it is all very clear and palatable. In fact, this book would make a good overview of science for high school students. It's got stories of volcanoes, plagues, earthquakes, tsunamis, tornadoes, asteroids, and poisonous lakes to hold the students' interest.

The river that weaves through the story is of course, the Mississippi, and the author begins in the mid-1800s up through the great flood of 1927, and a few years beyond. He has some astounding history to tell us.

This is a chaotically organized book, but easy and fun to read. You might at least want to find it in the oversized books section of your library and browse through the photographs.