Power Point Talk: Disaster! Stories of Destruction and Death in 19th Century New Jersey

By every measure, superstorm Hurricane Sandy in 2012 was a disaster of epic proportions.The deadliest storm to strike the East Coast since Hurricane Diane in 1955, Sandy killed 37 people and caused more than $30 million in damages in 2012 in New Jersey alone. But earlier centuries had their own major catastrophes. Speaker Alan Siegel brings viewers face-to-face with many natural and human caused calamities between 1821 and 1906 ranging from train accidents to wild uncontrolled fires. He focuses on the bravest individuals in these stories, many forgotten acts of courage in the face of danger.

A lawyer practicing in Chatham, Alan Siegel has published numerous NJ history books, including Smile: A Picture History of Olympic Park, 1887-1965 and Beneath the Starry Flag: New Jersey’s Civil War Experience.