THE GALVESTON STORM OF 1900—
THE DEADLIEST DISASTER IN AMERICAN HISTORY

A PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON, TX

...THE DEVASTATING GALVESTON HURRICANE OF 1900...

"On September 8, 1900, the deadliest disaster in United States history occurred. An estimated 8,000 people lost their lives in the Category 4 hurricane that struck Galveston on that day. By the morning of the 7th, storm flags were raised indicating that a powerful storm was headed in that direction. So why did so many people perish? Even though they were warned, less than half the population evacuated. By early on the 8th, water was already covering lower parts of the island, but many of the inhabitants had seen this before. Some in fact wanted to get closer to the beach to watch the impressive waves. They had seen water rise like that with other storms and survived. Why would this time be any different?

But this time was different. This hurricane hit Galveston almost head on. The eye made landfall just southwest of the island. This placed Galveston in the region of strongest winds and greatest storm surge. Barometric pressure fell rapidly as water levels rose to more than 15 feet above normal. The last recorded wind speed was 84 mph at around 6 p.m. at which time the anemometer at the weather bureau blew away. The maximum sustained winds are estimated to have reached near 130 mph.

By the time most residents realized the danger they were in, it was too late to leave the island. In addition to all the telegraph and telephone lines being down, all paths to the mainland had been destroyed. The best they could do was try to make it to the center of the island or find a building still standing. But that became almost impossible as conditions kept deteriorating. By the time the storm passed, nearly half of the homes had been swept away.

It took this great disaster to make the city realize the necessity of protecting itself. Over the next few years a seawall was built and the city was raised. Their hard work has been tested several times since then, and it has definitely paid off. But this does not mean the island is invincible.

So could a disaster like that of the 1900 storm happen again? It is possible. Since 1900, there have been great technological advances in predicting and reporting weather. Tropical systems are watched closely from the moment of their formation, and sophisticated computer models predict the path and strength of these storms. If a hurricane were headed for the Gulf Coast, almost everyone would know about it. However, the population along the coastline has increased significantly. In some areas, it could take days to completely evacuate. And even when a storm is coming, people still look at their own past experiences to determine how bad it will be.

The last major hurricane to affect southeast Texas was Alicia in 1983. Many of the current residents were not here then, and the memories are fading for the ones that were. The key to preventing another tragedy from occurring is the awareness and preparedness of the population."

For more information visit: www.1900storm.com