Hurricane Ike pounded Galveston, Texas over the weekend, flattening homes and leaving millions without power. But in the history of hurricanes this is far from the worst that Galveston has seen. In 1900 the most devastating hurricane in American history destroyed the town and killed thousands. For a look at hurricanes past and present The Takeaway turned to Lew Fincher, a hurricane historian and the Vice President of Hurricane Consulting, Inc.
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Hurricane Ike pounded Galveston, Texas, over the weekend, flattening homes and leaving millions without power.
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The National Weather Service is warning residents of Galveston, Texas they could "face certain death" if they don't evacuate. At this report, the center of Hurricane Ike was about 230 miles southeast of Galveston and moving toward the upper Texas coast at about 13 miles-per-hour. Top winds are near 105 miles-per-hour and forecasters say it could strengthen before making landfall early Saturday.
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Hundreds of thousands of Texans are fleeing as Hurricane Ike barrels towards the coastline. Are the hurricanes, tropical storms, tornadoes and extreme weather we've seen lately just random chance? Are these storm clusters seasonal? Or are humans and global warming causing more storms and more severe storms? The Takeaway talks to MIT atmospheric science professor Kerry Emanuel to find out.
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About half of the year, actor and comedian Harry Shearer lives in the French Quarter of New Orleans. He’s been watching Gustav’s wrath from afar, via satellite feeds from his other home in Southern California.
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Now that Hurricane Gustav has dashed the momentum leading up to the Republican National Convention, the storm’s ill-timing led us to wonder if there has been a time in history when inclement weather affected political outcome. Author Laura Lee joins us with five examples of when the weather changed history.
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George Esteves, reporter for CBS 4, Miami
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Jessica Shower Clark, meteorologist for the National Hurricane Center
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George Esteves, reporter for CBS 4 Miami.
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Col Alvin Lee, US Army Corps of Engineers
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Michael Eckert, meteorologist and Senior Branch Forecaster, National Weather Service
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Terence Blanchard is a prolific composer and musician. He’s written film scores for over thirty movies including, “Malcolm X”, “When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts”, “Inside Man” and “Miracle At St. Anna”, Spike Lee’s upcoming film about the lives of four African-American soldiers fighting in World War 2. Three years ago Blanchard was working on the score of “Inside Man” in Los Angeles when he turned on the television and saw hurricane Katrina hit his home city of New Orleans. Recovering from the disaster and rebuilding and reinvigorating the Crescent City has been his passion ever since. Terence Blanchard joins The Takeaway on the eve of the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina hitting New Orleans, to talk about how he’s using music to rebuild the city he loves.
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Guest: Blair Heusdens, spokeswoman with the Florida Division of Emergency Management
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Agriculture is a $31-billion industry in California — no state is bigger for farming. But with California in a drought, state-enforced water rationing is forcing farmers to abandon fields and lay off workers. The Takeaway talks to the mayor of Mendota, California, where hundreds have been left hungry, and with Sacramento Bee reporter Matt Weiser about the difficult choices the state is facing.
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China is tightly managing every aspect of the Olympics, even trying to control the weather. They’re using cloud-seeding techniques, both to create rain to reduce smog and to steer rain away from outdoor events. The Takeaway takes a closer look at the often colorful efforts to control the weather.
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The cost to heat your home could be up more than $1,000 this winter. Joining us to give the grim prognosis and what we should do to prepare for a cold winter is Mark Wolfe, Executive Director of the National Energy Assistance Directors’ Association.
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Guest: Stephen Dubner, Freakonomics author
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As floods reach record levels in the Midwest, thousands of people have been displaced. Homes, businesses and crops have been destroyed. Are humans partly to blame for this increased risk of flooding? The Takeaway turns to Robert Holmes, National Flood Coordinator for the U.S. Geological Survey, for the answers.
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Guest: Randi Rundl
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Guest: Steve Buttry, editor, The Gazette (Cedar Rapids, Iowa)
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Scott Olson/Getty Images

The waters of the Cedar River are starting to recede in eastern Iowa, an area that was forced to evacuate nearly 24,000 people after heavy rains pounded the area. As residents slowly return, they are finding high waters remain. Iowa public media correspondent Dean Borg speaks with The Takeaway from his home outside Cedar Rapids.

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Almost three years after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita pounded the Gulf Coast, New Orleans is a shell and its citizens remain displaced and impoverished. Documentarian June Cross joins The Takeaway to discuss the region as the Federal Emergency Management Agency's deadline to evacuate victims still living in temporary trailers passes.
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