Changes in the Air

Eleonora Rohland holds a doctorate from the Ruhr-University Bochum. She is full Professor at Bielefeld University and the author of Entangled History and the Environment? Socio-Environmental Transformations in the Caribbean, 1492-1800 (WVT/ University of New Orleans Press, 2021) and of Sharing the Risk: Fire, Climate, and Disaster—Swiss Re 1864–1906 (Crucible Books, 2011).

“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

• List of Figures and MapsAcknowledgementsList of AbbreviationsIntroduction: Hurricane Katrina and the Future of the PastChapter 1. Adaptation, Knowledge, and Hurricanes in HistoryChapter 2. Environmental Learning and Path DependenceChapter 3. Moving out of Harm’s WayChapter 4. Disaster and Social OrderChapter 5. Hurricanes vs. “Mass Idleness”Chapter 6. To Mandate or Not to Mandate…Chapter 7. Adaptive Practices, Past and PresentBibliographyIndex