This painstakingly-researched chronicle of the hurricane which devastated the up-and-coming glorious city Galveston, Texas, in 1900 is presented as the story of Issac Cline, a meterologist who underestimates the power of one particular storm with tragic results. Beginning somewhat drily with the history of meteorology in the United States, the narrative proceeds to tell the stories of individual familes and how they are affected as the unexpected storm arrives at their beach and ocean waters begin to swallow their beloved city. The pace of the account then picks up and its a race to see who will survive this most unfortunate situation.