Beth Hayes

The Category 5 Cookbook
the category 5 cookbook



I created this combination cookbook/memoir after my family’s Hurricane Irma/Maria experiences in St Thomas during 2017.

Humor was my choice to deal with a missing roof, curfews, empty grocery shelves, FEMA and no power for 3 months. The recipes were created out of sparse ingredients, as they became available, after the storms.

Although our home in Western North Carolina was unaffected by Hurricane Helene and its aftermath, some of our neighboring area businesses in Dillsboro and Sylva experienced water damage. They quickly reopened with some spaces offering gathering places for neighbors to connect with the outside world or as rallying points for the storage and distribution of supplies for all in need. Their efforts are much appreciated.

This free PDF version of my Cat 5 Cookbook is my little contribution to, perhaps, feed the hearts, minds, bodies and souls of my fellow survivors – wherever you are.

Wishing you all peace and a swift recovery.




Review by Donna Marie Decker - June 11, 2021 'beth Hayes, published, in 2018, "The Cat 5 Cookbook" Lessons Learned on St. Thomas During and After Hurricanes Irma and Maria: September 2017.

'beth's book also is a timely testimony to resiliency and grace. She shows how she and Roy creatively used very limited foods that were available -- without electricity -- to make nutritious and delicious-sounding meals which kept up their strength to build back their world.

From reading this book, I now have ideas on how to better maneuver food and supplies after the perennial hurricanes that pound this Florida coast.

If you would like to leave a comment regarding your experience with my book, please enter your information below and we will post it to our website soon after. Thank you.

Your information is transmitted via a secure (SSL) connection for your protection

Email Addresses: We do not sell or disclose this information to any third parties,
nor do we use this information for marketing purposes.

Top Of Page