To order any of these titles, contact the library by email, mail or phone. You may also request these titles online through our OPAC. All books listed are linked to Braille and Audio Reading Download site (BARD) for downloading. Happy Reading!
The Breathtaker by Alice Blanchard.
Read by Jack Fox. Reading time 10 hours 34 minutes.
Oklahoma. In the aftermath of a devastating twister, widowed police chief Charlie Grover discovers the bodies of three apparent tornado victims. When autopsies reveal foul play, Charlie, aided by storm-chasing specialist Willa Bellman, races to stop a killer using cyclones to camouflage murder. Violence, strong language, and some explicit descriptions of sex.
Download The Breathtaker, DB57636
A Cold Dark Place by Gregg Olsen
Read by Madelyn Buzzard. Reading time 11 hours 8 minutes.
In the aftermath of a tornado in Cherrystone, Washington, homicide detective Emily Kenyon discovers members of the Martin family dead near their demolished home. But, oddly, they've been shot. Their teen son Nick is unaccounted for and soon Emily's daughter Jenna goes missing too. Violence and strong language. 2008.
Download A Cold Dark Place, DB70334
F5: Devastation, Survival, and the Most Violent Tornado Outbreak of the Twentieth Century by Mark Levine
Read by Jim Zeiger. Reading time 11 hours 18 minutes.
Focuses on Limestone County, Alabama, residents' experiences during two of the 148 tornadoes that ripped through thirteen states in April 1974. Recounts the struggles of a teenaged couple caught in their car, a mother separated from her toddler and newborn, and a family that lost half its members. Some strong language. 2007.
Download F5 Devastation, DB66201
Fire on the Mountain: The True Story of the South Canyon Fire by John N. Maclean
Read by Jim Johnston. Reading time 10 hours 19 minutes.
An account of the 1994 forest fire on Colorado's Storm King Mountain, which claimed the lives of fourteen elite firefighters, including four women. Reconstructs the human errors that compounded the natural disaster, mistakes made during the investigations that followed, and lessons to be learned. Some strong language. 1999.
Download Fire on the Mountain, DB50200
Furnace of Creation, Cradle of Destruction: A Journey to the Birthplace of Earthquakes, Volcanoes, and Tsunamis by Roy Chester
Read by Jake Williams. Reading time 9 hours 21 minutes.
British oceanographer explains the development of the field of geology and the science of plate tectonics. Highlights natural disasters throughout history, including the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, volcanoes, and earthquakes. 2008.
Download Volcanoes, and Tsunamis, DB66988
The Great Chicago Fire and the Myth of Mrs. O'Leary's Cow by Richard F. Bales
Read by Lou Harpenau. Reading time 18 hours 23 minutes.
A detailed examination of the historical evidence of one of the worst fires in American history. Using land-tract records and transcripts from the 1871 investigation, Bales posits that the more prominent theories on the fire's origins--and the story of Mrs. O'Leary's cow--were implausible. Illinois State Historical Soc. Award. 2002.
Download The Great Chicago Fire, DB65881
Halsey's Typhoon: The True Story of a Fighting Admiral, an Epic Storm, and an Untold Rescue by Bob Drury
Read by Christopher Hurt. Reading time 11 hours 16 minutes.
Account of Typhoon Cobra, a devastating Pacific storm that struck Admiral William Halsey's fleet near the Philippines in December 1944, sinking three ships and claiming the lives of some eight hundred men. Describes the efforts of USS Tabberer captain Henry Plage, who defied orders and rescued drifting sailors. 2007.
Download Halsey's Typhoon, DB66099
Majoring in Murder: A Murder, She Wrote Mystery by Donald Bain
Read by Margaret Strom. Reading time 7 hours 53 minutes.
Mystery writer Jessica Fletcher is teaching a class at an Indiana college when a tornado strikes and one of two professors who didn't seek emergency shelter is soon discovered dead. Jessica doubts the death was accidental, instead suspecting foul play. As she investigates, Jessica becomes embroiled in campus politics. 2003.
Download Majoring in Murder, DB57578
Seven Fires: The Urban Infernos That Reshaped America by Peter Charles Hoffer
Read by Bob Moore. Reading time 15 hours 11 minutes.
Chronicles city fires that changed American social, economic, and political structure from the colonial 1760 Boston blaze to the September 11, 2001, conflagration in Manhattan. Reconstructs tragedies in 1845 Pittsburgh, 1871 Chicago, 1904 Baltimore, 1967 Detroit, and 1991 Oakland Hills, California. Includes a primer on fire and urban renewal. 2006.
Download Seven Fires, DB66521
Storm Warning: The Story of a Killer Tornado by Nancy Mathis
Read by Kerry Dukin. Reading time 8 hours 43 minutes.
Examines Oklahoma's deadly May 1999 storm, which spawned seventy-one tornadoes including one that was the most powerful F5 ever recorded, with winds over three hundred miles per hour. Interweaves victim accounts with narrative on the evolution of meteorology and the development of the Fujita scale for measuring cyclone strength. 2007.
Download Storm Warning, DB65554
The Thirtymile Fire: A Chronicle of Bravery and Betrayal by John N. Maclean
Read by Jim Zeiger. Reading time 10 hours 12 minutes.
Author of Fire on the Mountain (RC 50200) examines events surrounding the July 2001 wildfire in Washington's North Cascades Range that scorched nine thousand acres and killed four rookie firefighters. Minute-by-minute account details the series of safety and judgment errors that led to the crew members' entrapment and deaths. Some strong language. 2007.
Download The Thirtymile Fire, DB66035
A Wall of White: The True Story of Heroism and Survival in the Face of a Deadly Avalanche by Jennifer Woodlief
Read by Theresa Conkin. Reading time 9 hours 33 minutes.
Chronicles the avalanche that struck the Alpine Meadows ski resort near Lake Tahoe on March 31, 1982, and killed seven people. Describes how search-and-rescue teams and their dogs found Anna Conrad after she was buried for five days. Some strong language. 2009.
Download A Wall of White, DB71805
When the Mississippi Ran Backwards: Empire, Intrigue, Murder, and the New Madrid Earthquakes by Jay Feldman
Read by Jill Fox. Reading time 10 hours 47 minutes.
Chronicles a series of catastrophic earthquakes in the Mississippi River Valley from 1811 to 1812 that devastated the New Madrid frontier settlement and temporarily reversed the Mississippi's flow. Links the seismologic activity to the Indian Wars, a slave murder committed by Thomas Jefferson's nephews, and the War of 1812. 2005.
Download When the Mississippi Ran Backwards, DB60365
Wreck of the Carl D.: A True Story of Loss, Survival, and Rescue at Sea by Michael Schumacher
Read by Ted Stoddard. Reading time 8 hours 23 minutes.
Recounts the November 1958 sinking of 638-foot limestone carrier Carl D. Bradley during a storm on Lake Michigan. Describes the tragedy that claimed thirty-three lives, the plight of survivors aboard a small raft, the search-and-rescue mission, and the impact on small-town Rogers City, Michigan--the home of most crew members. 2008.
Download Wreck of the Carl D., DB68493