Episode Details

Art Bell tracks Hurricane Floyd in real time as the massive Category 4 storm bears down on the southeastern United States, prompting the largest evacuation in American history. With 2.6 million people fleeing the coast, Art monitors radar imagery showing the enormous eye of the storm east-southeast of Cape Canaveral. He fields calls from listeners across the country sharing local conditions, evacuation experiences, and storm observations while reading the latest meteorological updates throughout the broadcast.

Between hurricane coverage, callers weigh in on a wide range of topics during open lines. A self-proclaimed fertility goddess delivers a comedic exchange about her divine responsibilities, while a commercial pilot explains the strict cockpit sterilization protocols that prevent any non-essential conversation during takeoff and landing. A listener from Nova Scotia calls seeking a past broadcast, and others share webcam links and personal weather reports from areas in the projected path of the storm.

Art recalls his own storm-chasing days in the Air Force, pursuing tornadoes across Oklahoma in a Volkswagen with his friend Lynn Whitlake. He compares the size of Floyd to Hurricane Andrew, noting that if Andrew were a dime, Floyd would be a half dollar. The broadcast serves as both a community lifeline and a window into the anxious anticipation gripping the eastern seaboard as the storm approaches landfall.