Father Vines: 'Hurricane priest' of 19th-century Cuba

Imagine forecasting hurricanes without using computers, satellites or radar. That's what Father Benito Vines, the famed "hurricane priest" of 19th-century Cuba, did.

A new book out this year details the life and career of Vines, who made it his life's work to save lives and teach the public about the weather.

Vines developed a network of observation stations unlike anything seen before his time, and his research laid the groundwork for early warning systems we use today.

In the streaming audio below, I chat with Oswaldo Garcia, a meteorologist from San Francisco State University, who this year translated the book Father Benito Vines: The 19th-Century Life and Contributions of a Cuban Hurricane Observer and Scientist.

The book was published by the American Meteorological Society.

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