Hurricanes have been a constant in the history of New Orleans. Since before its settlement as a French colony in the eighteenth century, the land entwined between Lake Pontchartrain and the Mississippi River has been lashed by powerful Gulf storms. Time and again, these hurricanes have wrought immeasurable loss and devastation, spurring reinvention and ingenuity on the part of inhabitants. Changes in the Air offers a rich and thoroughly researched history of how hurricanes have shaped and reshaped New Orleans from the colonial era to the present day, focusing on how its residents have adapted to a uniquely unpredictable and destructive environment across more than three centuries.
It’s the first "hurricane history" of New Orleans
It covers all three of the city’s historical eras: French (1718-1762), Spanish (1762-1800) and American (1803-present) based on primary sources
It features the first comprehensive history of the New Orleans levees from the French colonial period (including the knowledge transfer from France) to the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927, using French and Spanish colonial records, as well as primary sources from the American period
It combines climate, environmental, social, and economic history
It shows how long-term historical processes are linked to and relevant for the present and future
"As New Orleans celebrates its tricentennial, this book would be a great read for the history enthusiast, or anyone wanting to better understand the social, political, and technical ways in which the Crescent City has endured for more than 300 years." ? Choice
"It should be noted that Rohland has presented with Changes in the Air a well-articulated and argued study that, for the first time, presents the history of the hurricanes of New Orleans systematically in its three hundred years of development. Rohland's study is significant well beyond the space of New Orleans and the temporary phenomena of hurricanes: The author very vividly conveys a structural, historical understanding for continuities, ruptures and changes in disaster adaptation practices in the Anthropocene." ? Neue Politische Literatur
"In her compelling book, Dr. Eleonora Rohland blends history with social science analysis to make a superb contribution to scholarship on hurricanes, environmental history, and American history." ? Joyce Chaplin, Harvard University
"Rohland's work is a deeply researched and persuasively argued exploration of the essential role of historical scholarship in understanding long-term human adaptation to changing environments. It transcends the boundaries of environmental history and presents powerful insights into current issues related to global change." ? Craig E. Colten, Louisiana State University
