Storm is a novel written by George Rippey Stewart and published in 1941. The book became a best-seller and helped lead to the naming of tropical cyclones worldwide,[1] even though the main character of the book was an extratropical cyclone.[2]
Contents |
A cyclone develops offshore Japan, and becomes a significant storm that moves into California as a blizzard of significance for the Sierra Nevada range, with snowfall amounts of 20 feet (6.1 m). The book is divided into twelve chapters: one chapter for each day of the storm's existence. The storm's beneficial effects include averting a locust plague and ending a drought. Its harmful effects include flooding a valley near Sacramento, endangering a plane, stalling a train, and leading to the deaths of 16 people. It spawns a new cyclone which significantly affects New York.[3]
This book led to the inspiration for the Lerner and Loewe song They Call the Wind Maria, [1] performed in the musical Paint Your Wagon. It also helped lead to the idea of naming tropical cyclones.