Gina Hong

Pre-Ap World Geography

Isaacs Storm Critical Analysis
1) The thesis statement of Isaacs Storm is about a man named, Isaac Cline, who goes through one
of Americas deadliest hurricanes in history thinking he can with stand the powerful winds and
nature.
a. This is when Isaac and others are in his house on the second floor. Isaac still believes
that his house will stay standing, even with the strong winds going outside.
1. Isaacs pregnant wife and their three children, along with dozens of
terrified neighbors, were packed in one room with one window. Even so,
Isaac still felt his house would remain standing. Hadn't he predicted that no
storm could inflict catastrophic damage on Galveston? And then something
struck the house with terrific force.
b. This shows that when you are arrogant you could lose things important to you, like
Isaac Cline.
1. He had found one daughter but lost everyone else.
c. This shows how powerful and dangerous a hurricane can be. But if you evacuate
then youre safe, unlike Isaac Cline who thought he could survive the storm without
any one getting hurt.
1. A weather-battered hulk that had once been a house came bearing down
upon us, one side upreared at an angle of about forty-five degrees, at a
height from six to eight feet higher than our drift.

In the book I like how the author Erik Larson puts many details of what is happening
during the hurricane, so I could picture what it would be like to be in one of the deadliest
hurricane I history. He had been inside the house; now he was outside in darkness, in wind so
fast it planed the water. There was lightning. He saw debris everywhere, jutting from the sea.
What I also like about the book is in the beginning it gave us a little introduction so we know
what we were about to read. Also how it tells you and describes the town of Galveston before
the hurricane came, so in my head I could picture moving pictures showing me before and after
scenes of Galveston. What I dont like about the book is the way Isaac Cline acted, because if he
told someone about how weird things were he could of save some lives, like the orphanages and
nuns. Also I dont like how Isaac kept thinking that everything of his could with stand the
hurricane like his house. Even so, Isaac still felt his house would remain standing. I think the
author could of added what Isaac s was like before he moved to Galveston, so we can
understand him better and see why he pick those choices. He also could of added was more
about his family, too, because it would probably help us understand what he goes through every
day, and get to see how important his family is to him. Overall, the book was very interesting to
me and got me to learn more about hurricanes.
1. How do you think Isaac feels after the storm and losing some you love?
2. Why do you think Isaac went into the career of weather or meteorologists?
3. How can you tell when a hurricane is about to come? Is there a change in
temperature or what?
4. How did all those people, in Isaacs house get separate? Was it unsafe inside the
house?
5. Why do you think that so many people die during a hurricane then other natural
disaster.