Fatal Forecast: An Incredible True Story of Courage In a Savage Storm

by Michael J Tougias

As harrowing as The Perfect Storm—but with a miraculous ending—Fatal Forecast is one of the greatest survival stories ever told—now available as a young reader’s adaptation.

On the morning of November 21, 1980, two small boats set out from Cape Cod for Georges Bank, a prosperous fishing ground one hundred miles out to sea. The National Weather Service had forecast typical fall weather, and the young crew aboard the Sea Fever and the Fair Wind had no reason to expect that this trip would be any different from the dozens they’d made earlier in the season. What they didn’t know was that the only weather buoy in the area was malfunctioning as the National Weather Service had failed to reveal this critical data. As the two boats headed out, a colossal storm was brewing, a furious maelstrom that would batter the boats with sixty-foot waves and hurricane-force winds.
This true story of catastrophe and survival at sea is a vivid moment-by-moment account of seventy-two hours in the lives of eight men. Most amazing is the story of Ernie Hazard, who spent more than fifty terrifying hours in—and out of—a tiny life raft, careening in the monstrous waves. Gripping and heart-pounding, this page-turning adaptation for young readers is an unforgettable story about the collision of two spectacular forces: the brutality of nature and the human will to survive.

An adaptation for young readers of Fatal Forecast: An Incredible True Tale of Disaster and Survival at Sea.

Genres: Nonfiction

288 pages, Hardcover

Published October 22, 2024

Reviews

[libreroaming · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not having read the original 2006 "Fatal Forecast" this young reader edition is based off of, I can say it is well suited to middle grade and even teens interested in true survival stories. The details of the storm off Georges Bank on November 21, 1980 focuses primarily on two distressed ships, The Fair Wind, and The Sea Fever. However, I would say it's more 60% Ernie Hazard from The Fair Wind, 30% the crew of The Sea Fever and her sister ship, and 10% the rescue mission ships.

You can tell from the descriptions that Ernie's harrowing account is more detailed and the backbone of this story. In some ways it feels like it might have been better to be stripped down to just his story, since the doomed crew of The Fair Wind gets minimal description before the ship sinks. There's also a brief note of the legal battles the family of the doomed sailors to legally hold the Weather Service accountable for not repairing a weather-reporting buoy in a timely manner, but the note that the verdict was overturned seems abrupt and a poor ending to the chapter.

Distribution of topics aside, explanation of Ernie's 48 hours of survival are nail biting without being gruesome. You can tell Tougias has a respect and humanity for Ernie's journey that doesn't veer into sentimental. As the captain of The Sea Fever, Peter Brown has less time but the same amount of respect for how he handled his crew's peril. In the digital copy, we only saw pictures of the seamen at the end of the book with a corresponding quote. I think if the pictures were embedded in the work it would be a better format, but I do think having faces to put with the people involved also enhances the experience of the story. Give it to kids who have already exhausted the "I Survived" series and are looking for something more grounded.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will admit that I knew that this was a YA book and that appealed to be because I thought that my attention span probably couldn’t handle a very detailed and well-written book about this same subject; I wanted the story without too much detail that I may not understand since I don’t have much of a nautical background. This was the perfect amount of detail and was so well-written that I felt all the characters’ panic and perseverance throughout. Highly recommended for anyone interested in strong characters and triumph over adversity.

I received a copy from #NetGalley for an honest review.

[Rebecca Morrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredible story of survival! Tougias researched meticulously and it showed in the vivid description of events taking place in November of 1980. The vivid description added to the length of the book, and some background information probably wasn't necessary to the story. Overall, however, I am glad I read this story, which otherwise would have been lost to time.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

[Rebecca Brubaker · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you’re looking for a fast-paced, real-life survival story, you want to read this one. It was hard to put it down!