Murder in the Wind by John D. MacDonald

With the waters rising and the winds whipping through the sky, a hurricane of terrifying intensity is looming over Florida. Along a state highway, a handful of foolhardy souls trying to outrun the storm are forced to seek shelter in an abandoned house after discovering that a nearby bridge is out of commission. Thrown together by nothing more than chance, this disparate bunch of misfits and wanderers includes an undercover agent seeking revenge for a personal tragedy, a burgeoning criminal in over his head, a beautiful young widow…