Southeast Missouri weather disasters discussed in new book

The 1949 tornado and 1979 blizzard in Cape Girardeau are two events discussed in a new book on natural disasters.

"Show Me ... Nature's Wrath" is the latest book by Don Corrigan, a journalist and professor. He will give a presentation on tornadoes at 10:30 a.m. Oct. 2 at the Cape Girardeau Public Library.

He said he's looking forward to swapping weather stories with attendees and signing copies of his book.

Through interviews with local meteorologists and other research, the book covers several events of local interest, including the 1949 tornado and the 1979 blizzard in Cape Girardeau. Corrigan writes that Cape Girardeau residents helped many travelers "marooned" on Interstate 55 during the 1979 "thundersnow." More recent weather events are also documented.

"The ice storm of 2009 was a doozie in Southeast Missouri and even shut down the home of throwed rolls in Sikeston -- and Lambert's Cafe never shuts down because of weather," Corrigan said.

Corrigan said his interest in natural disasters began at an early age,

"I still remember eating at the kitchen table by candlelight with my family after storms took out the electricity," he said. "I remember being in the basement as a little kid when the 1959 St. Louis tornado killed people and took out parts of Gaslight Square."

"In my neighborhood, we kids used to 'play tornado' by spinning around in backyards until we got so dizzy we were falling all over the place."

Corrigan said he is especially impressed with stories about lightning strikes.

"Lightning kills more people in America in many years than all the wrath of tornadoes and floods," Corrigan said. "Missouri is home to some famous lightning rod manufacturers whose grandfathers used to 'rod' barns, and now they are doing rods for stadium scoreboards and nuclear plant cooling towers."

Corrigan, a professor of journalism at Webster University, authored the 2007 book titled "Show Me ... Natural Wonders." That book focused on nature sites in Missouri such as bluffs, caves, streams and springs. Corrigan said that during his research for that book he was inspired to cover the natural disasters that dramatically affect the landscape.

"Missouri terrain can be pretty unique, but what comes from Missouri skies can be downright weird," he said.

In addition to his work in academia, Corrigan is the editor and co-publisher of the two suburban weeklies, Webster-Kirkwood Times and South County Times. He is a contributing writer to St. Louis magazine and is a frequent writer for St. Louis Journalism Review.

Pertinent address:

711 N. Clark Ave., Cape Girardeau, MO