Atlanta (PRWEB) September 29, 2008
The recent landfall of Hurricane Ike on Galveston, TX, is a chilling reminder that history often repeats itself. In response, The Weather Channel® has scheduled the "Galveston Hurricane of 1900" episode to open the second season of When Weather Changed History. This compelling episode examines how the deadliest natural event in U.S history also altered the economic future of an entire region. The Weather Channel looks at what lessons were learned and acted upon after that devastating hurricane. The "Galveston Hurricane of 1900" will premiere on Oct. 5 at 9 p.m. ET. The episode originally scheduled for premiere week, "The Great Chicago Fire," has been rescheduled for Oct. 12.
"At The Weather Channel, our goal is to inform and protect people in both our live and long-form programming," said Ray Ban, executive vice president, programming and meteorology. "We knew a program about the lessons from Galveston -- with parallels between the 1900 hurricane and the recent impact of Ike - would be very relevant for our viewers and needed to be our season premiere."
In 1900, a hurricane swept away the booming city of Galveston, changing the future of Texas and opening the door for Houston to flourish. The 1900 event killed thousands and caused more fatalities than Hurricane Katrina, the September 11 attacks and the Chicago Fire combined. The premiere of When Weather Changed History explores some of the personal stories from the 1900 storm and also details the actions taken in the years that followed to protect Galveston - many of which were a factor during the approach and impact of Hurricane Ike.
Each new episode of When Weather Changed History will premiere Sundays at 9 p.m. and 12 a.m. ET, with a number of repeats throughout the following week. The series is produced by Towers Productions, and season two will provide insights to weather's effect on momentous historic events ranging more than a century such as D-Day, the Titanic and the Hindenburg as well as in-depth exposition about well-known American experiences like the Dust Bowl and the Great Chicago Fire. Encore presentations will be presented Monday through Saturday at 9 p.m. and 12 a.m. ET.
The original series from The Weather Channel won awards and broke viewership records after its premiere in January 2008. The 14 new episodes explore weather-related circumstances known to affect the outcome of history and reveal the sometimes-surprising connections of weather on the course of events.
More than 21 million viewers* tuned into the series premiere in January, making When Weather Changed History the most-viewed series premiere ever on The Weather Channel. Two of the episodes were honored with Silver Telly Awards in the TV documentary category.
Each program gives viewers a unique vantage point about historical events, highlighting how weather influenced important happenings in politics, exploration, the military, sports, entertainment and religion. Through use of dramatic video and insider personal stories, When Weather Changed History uncovers key moments and discloses unexpected facts about each event. A theme running throughout the series is the epic struggle of man against the power of nature - and the dangers of underestimating that power.
In conjunction with the series, The Weather Channel will offer new content from When Weather Changed History at http://www.weather.com/tv including sneak previews of upcoming episodes, a lesson plan for teachers, and a sweepstakes.
*Nielsen Media Research/NPower, 1/06/08-1/13/08
About The Weather Channel
The Weather Channel, a 24-hour weather network, is seen in more than 98 million U.S. households. The Weather Channel reaches more than 38 million unique users online per month through weather.com and products including The Weather Channel Desktop, making it the most popular source of online weather, news and information according to Nielsen//Net Ratings. The Weather Channel also operates The Weather Channel HD; Weatherscan, a 24-hour, all-local weather network; The Weather Channel Radio Network; The Weather Channel Newspaper Services; and is the leading weather information provider for emerging technologies. This includes broadband and interactive television applications and wireless weather products including the most popular content site on the Mobile Web. In September 2008, The Weather Channel Companies were purchased by a consortium made up of NBC Universal and the private equity firms The Blackstone Group and Bain Capital. For more information, visit http://www.weather.com/press.
Premiere episode: The Galveston Hurricane of 1900, Oct. 5, 9 p.m. ET
September 8, 1900. One storm forever changes the Gulf Coast.
Stronger than Hurricane Andrew and more deadly than Hurricane Katrina, the September 11 attacks and the Chicago Fire combined. The Galveston Hurricane of 1900 sweeps the booming city of Galveston away, opening the door for Houston to flourish. (Premiere, Oct. 5, 9 p.m. ET)
The Great Chicago Fire, Oct. 12, 9 p.m. ET
October 8, 1871. Was it really Mrs. O'Leary's cow?
The second season opens with a bit of myth-busting! Was it a cow or an unseasonably hot dry spell? While dispelling popular myths surrounding the legendary fire's origin, the episode shows how Chicago was rebuilt with innovative new architecture, including the world's first skyscraper.
Titanic, Oct. 19, 9 p.m. ET
April 14, 1912. On her maiden voyage, the "unsinkable" RMS Titanic hits an iceberg and sinks. The unusual weather and abundance of floating icebergs on the North Atlantic Ocean plays a major role in this infamous tragedy. Transatlantic travel is changed forever as a result with new safety guidelines and the establishment of the International Ice Patrol.
The Hindenburg Disaster, Oct. 26, 9 p.m. ET
May 6, 1937. The golden age of airship travel comes to an end.
During a landing in severe thunderstorms at the Lakehurst Naval Air Station in New Jersey, the Hindenburg bursts into flames and crashes. The tragedy brought an end to the popularity of Zeppelin airship travel and the common use of hydrogen as fuel. Hydrogen is now making a comeback as a component for cell phone towers, forklifts and even aircraft tugs.
Killer Smog, Nov. 2, 9 p.m. ET
October, 1948. A thick fog in Donora, PA, paves the way for the Clean Air Act.
Weather conditions in the thriving mill town of Donora forms a thick fog, which mixes with mill emissions and creates toxic fumes. For days, residents struggle to breathe, 20 people die and thousands get sick. This deadly fog was a wake-up call about air pollution and forever changed the U.S. view of environment and public health.
The Dust Bowl, Nov. 30, 9 p.m. ET
1931-1939. A severe drought and "black blizzards" plague a region.
The rains stop on the U.S. high Southern Plains, and for ten years a severe drought turns the region to dust. More than 70 years later, modern science helps explain weather conditions that led to this natural disaster. Still today, the region can't shake its dusty past and again finds itself amid a multiyear drought.
D-Day Invasion, Dec. 7, 9 p.m. ET
May, 1943. Meteorologists determine launch details for the largest military force ever assembled. The Allied forces devise a plan to liberate mainland Europe from the Nazis' brutal grip by invading France at Normandy. The Allies need the weather to work to their advantage to win a decisive victory.
Drowning the Heartland, Dec. 14, 9 p.m. ET
June, 1993. The most severe, widespread flooding in U.S. history
Months of rain throughout the Upper Midwest help flood more than 150 lakes and rivers, causing hundreds of levees to fail, thousands of people to evacuate and at least 75 towns to be submerged. The 1993 flooding wrecks farmland and transportation systems and draws attention to failures of levee systems and building in flood plains.
Other episodes for the new season --
Summer, 1945. Cloudy weather ultimately brings about the end of WWII.
As World War II rages on in the Pacific, President Harry Truman and U.S. military leaders hope a powerful new technology can bring an end to the fighting. The Manhattan Project creates the atomic bomb and forever changes the face of warfare. Weather affects experimentation and the location and date of when the bombs will drop.
May 4, 2007 - present. How one community rebuilds after tornado decimation.
On May 4, 2007, an F-5 tornado nearly two miles in diameter hits Greensburg, KA. About 95 percent of Greensburg is destroyed. The rural town's spirit shows through in its attempts to rebuild as the greenest town in America. As the town leverages environmentalism to rebuild and sustain itself in the wake of near-total destruction, it just may be writing a modern survival guide for rural America.
July, 1995. A silent killer hits Chicago and reinvents severe hot weather response.
Just a nuisance to some, scorching temperatures and record humidity leave 739 dead among Chicago's socially isolated, poor and elderly. The heat wave disaster forces Chicago to rethink its severe hot weather response and sets definitive criteria for what determines a heat-related death.
August 29, 2005. Costliest U.S. natural disaster and its social ramifications.
Hurricane Katrina slams into Alabama, Mississippi and southeast Louisiana with 175 mph winds. The storm takes more than 1,500 lives, causes 200 billion dollars in damage and leaves countless people homeless. Even with cutting-edge forecasting technology, weather can still destroy a modern city, reinvent disaster preparedness, and send shockwaves through the country.
1775-1799. Weather's role in the fight for independence by the father of our country.
The military successes and failures of our nation's first president, George Washington, hinge on weather. Weather conditions play a part in the Siege of Boston, the Battle of Long Island, the famous crossing of the Delaware River, and the army's location at Valley Forge.
April 3-4, 1974. The worst tornado outbreak of the 20th century defies myths.
The April 3 forecast is mild. Instead, tornadoes break across the Heartland with intensity and frequency never seen before in the nation. Within 24 hours, 148 tornadoes kill 313 and injure 5,000. The outbreak debunks several tornado myths, and communities across the country improve tornado warning processes.