09-01-2014, 02:41 PM
Disaster relief as we know it did not exist when the deadliest tornado
in U.S. history gouged a path from southeast Missouri through southern
Illinois and into southwestern Indiana. The tri-state tornado of 1925
hugged the ground for 219 miles, generated wind speeds in excess of 300
miles per hour, and killed 695 people. Drawing on survivor interviews,
public records, and newspaper archives, America's Deadliest Twister
offers a detailed account of the storm, but more important, it describes
life in the region at that time as well as the tornado's lasting
cultural impact, especially on southern Illinois.
Author Geoff Partlow follows the storm from town to town, introducing us
to the people most affected by the tornado, including the African
American population of southern Illinois. Their narratives, along with
the stories of the heroes who led recovery efforts in the years
following, add a hometown perspective to the account of the storm
itself.
In the discussion of the aftermath of the tornado, Partlow examines the
lasting social and economic scars in the area, but he also looks at some
of the technological firsts associated with this devastating tragedy.
Partlow shows how relief efforts in the region began to change the way
people throughout the nation thought about disaster relief, which led to
the unified responses we are familiar with today.
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