Great Galveston Hurricane
Overview
The Great Galveston Hurricane of 1900 was the deadliest hurricane to ever hit the United States, and caused between 8000 and 12000 deaths. The storm reached the Texas coast south of Galveston on September 8 as a Category 4 hurricane with a storm surge of 8 to 15 feet. The lack of warning and the high storm surge caused this storm to have the highest death toll of any United States hurricane.
The Great Galveston Hurricane of 1900 was the deadliest hurricane to ever hit the United States, and caused between 8000 and 12000 deaths. The storm reached the Texas coast south of Galveston on September 8 as a Category 4 hurricane with a storm surge of 8 to 15 feet. The lack of warning and the high storm surge caused this storm to have the highest death toll of any United States hurricane.
How it happened
The storm's origins are unclear, because of the limited observation ability at the start of the 19th century. Ship reports were the only reliable tool for observing hurricanes at sea, and because wireless telegraphy was in its beginning stages, these reports were not available until the ships arrive at a dock or a city. The storm, like many powerful Atlantic hurricanes, is believed to have begun as a Cape Verde-type hurricane-a tropical wave moving off the western coast of Africa. The first sighting of the hurricane's precursor occurred on August 27, about 1,000 miles (1,600 km) east of the Windward Islands, when a ship recorded an area of "bad weather." The storm passed through the Leeward Islands on August 30, probably as a tropical storm as shown by pressure reports from Antigua a city near the top south, close to Cuba. Three days later, Antigua reported a severe thunderstorm passing over, followed by the hot, humid calmness that often occurs after a tropical cyclone passes. On September 5, it emerged into the Florida Straits as a tropical storm. However, a region of high pressure wind had pushed the storm into the Gulf of Mexico. The storm was reported to be north of Key West, a city of Florida on September 6, and in the early morning hours of Friday, September 7, the Weather Bureau office in New Orleans, Louisiana, issued a report of heavy damage along the Louisiana and Mississippi coasts. By early afternoon of Saturday, September 8, a steady northeastern wind had picked up, and by 5 p.m., the Bureau office was recording sustained hurricane-force winds. That night, the wind direction shifted to the east, and then to the southeast as the hurricane's eye began to pass over the island just west of the city.
The storm's origins are unclear, because of the limited observation ability at the start of the 19th century. Ship reports were the only reliable tool for observing hurricanes at sea, and because wireless telegraphy was in its beginning stages, these reports were not available until the ships arrive at a dock or a city. The storm, like many powerful Atlantic hurricanes, is believed to have begun as a Cape Verde-type hurricane-a tropical wave moving off the western coast of Africa. The first sighting of the hurricane's precursor occurred on August 27, about 1,000 miles (1,600 km) east of the Windward Islands, when a ship recorded an area of "bad weather." The storm passed through the Leeward Islands on August 30, probably as a tropical storm as shown by pressure reports from Antigua a city near the top south, close to Cuba. Three days later, Antigua reported a severe thunderstorm passing over, followed by the hot, humid calmness that often occurs after a tropical cyclone passes. On September 5, it emerged into the Florida Straits as a tropical storm. However, a region of high pressure wind had pushed the storm into the Gulf of Mexico. The storm was reported to be north of Key West, a city of Florida on September 6, and in the early morning hours of Friday, September 7, the Weather Bureau office in New Orleans, Louisiana, issued a report of heavy damage along the Louisiana and Mississippi coasts. By early afternoon of Saturday, September 8, a steady northeastern wind had picked up, and by 5 p.m., the Bureau office was recording sustained hurricane-force winds. That night, the wind direction shifted to the east, and then to the southeast as the hurricane's eye began to pass over the island just west of the city.
How it affected humans
An estimated of 6,000 residents died, and most structures in the city were destroyed or badly damaged. In terms of human casualties, it remains the worst natural disaster in United States history. Galveston's leaders took several major steps to recover from the storm and to prevent a recurrence of the devastation. First, they developed a new form of municipal government, one with strong centralized control to handle the economic recovery of the city. Next, they built a massive seawall to turn back storm-generated waves. Perhaps the most amazing step they took was to raise the level of the entire city, by more than 16 feet in some areas, in order to keep flooding at a minimum.
An estimated of 6,000 residents died, and most structures in the city were destroyed or badly damaged. In terms of human casualties, it remains the worst natural disaster in United States history. Galveston's leaders took several major steps to recover from the storm and to prevent a recurrence of the devastation. First, they developed a new form of municipal government, one with strong centralized control to handle the economic recovery of the city. Next, they built a massive seawall to turn back storm-generated waves. Perhaps the most amazing step they took was to raise the level of the entire city, by more than 16 feet in some areas, in order to keep flooding at a minimum.