UNNAMED HURRICANE
Category 4
September 9th, 1900 landfall

1900 STORM FACTS 8.7 feet Highest elevation on Galveston Island in 1900 15.7 feet Height of storm surge 28.55 inches Barometric pressure recorded in Galveston (approx. 30 miles from the eye of the storm) Lowest barometric pressure ever recorded in 1900 8,000 to 12,000 People estimated to have died during the storm 22,000 to 37,000 Population of Galveston in 1900 3,600 + Buildings destroyed by the storm 130 to 140 mph Estimated wind speed during the storm $20 million Damage costs (In 2005 dollars, it would be more than $700 million)

An approximate estimate of 10,000 persons died in this hurricane, making it the greatest disaster in the history of the United States. On 9/6, the U.S. Weather Bureau confirmed that a hurricane was in the Gulf and posted a hurricane watch as far west as New Orleans. On the 7th, the watch was extended to the Texas coast. At night on 9/7, Galveston had clear skies and a light breeze; by 4 AM on the 8th, a driving rain hit. By 9 AM on the 8th, the water around the island began to rise. As the winds and waves increased, ships were battered against the wharves, and low areas began to flood. A steamship broke free of its moorings and crashed through all three bridges to the mainland, trapping the entire population on the island. By mid-afternoon, winds reached hurricane velocity, and the anemometer blew away at 84 mph. Water ran over five feet deep in streets. By 830 PM, water levels were 20' above normal. Sustained winds blew at 125 mph, and the barometer dropped to 27.64". Houses began to collapse and float about like little arks, and the winds and waves battered house against house. Caskets floated from shallow graves in the cemeteries. The island was awash with 15' of water and animals and humans clung to debris for their lives. Most people drowned or died as their houses collapsed around them, but many were killed by flying objects. The storm subsided around midnight. As it traveled north after landfall, the storm still brought 70 mph winds as far north as the Great Lakes, then moved northeast across Canada and the North Atlantic, before dying in Siberia. Damage totaled $30 million.

The survivors of this hurricane had to dispose of the thousands of bodies. High temperatures after the storm caused the piles of bodies to begin to swell and blacken, and the threat of disease was serious. Finally, the corpses were weighed, loaded onto barges and taken offshore to be dumped. After a few days, 2,300 had been disposed of in this manner, but most of them washed back ashore on the next tide. In desperation shallow trenches were dug, lined with wood, and the bodies of animals, humans and debris were burned together. The smoke from the funeral pyres burned for WEEKS over Galveston.

The Galveston Hurricane of September 1900

The above photo shows some of the aftermath of the famous Galveston Hurricane of September 1900. On September 8, 1900, the deadliest natural disaster to ever strike the United States occurred at Galveston, Texas, totally destroying the city.

In the early evening hours of September 8, an unnamed hurricane came ashore at Galveston bringing with it a great storm surge that inundated most of Galveston Island and the city of Galveston. As a result, much of the city was destroyed and at least 10,000 people (possibly as high as 12,000) were killed in a few hours time.

The following is part of the account of Isaac M. Cline, the senior Weather Bureau employee present at Galveston, on the events leading up to the storm, his personal experiences in the storm, and the aftermath. The horror of Galveston is only partly described in this work. He was probably somewhat still in shock when he wrote this report as he lost his wife and virtually all of his possessions when his house collapsed during the storm . In a later biographical work, he referred to the shooting of hundreds of looters by vigilantes in the aftermath of the storm and the burning of thousands of unknown storm victims who otherwise would have decomposed where they lay.

This particular report is extracted from the Monthly Weather Review for September, 1900 - Here is an excerpt from a "Special Report on the Galveston Hurricane of September 8th, 1900 by Issac M. Cline, Local Forecast Official and Section Director at Galveston" at the time of the disaster:

"Sunday, September 9, 1900, revealed one of the most horrible sights that ever a civilized people looked upon. About three thousand homes, nearly half the residence portion of Galveston, had been completely swept out of existence, and probably more than six thousand persons had passed from life to death during that dreadful night. The correct number of those who perished will probably never be known, for many entire families are missing. Where 20,000 people lived on the 8th not a house remained on the 9th, and who occupied the houses may, in many instances, never be known. On account of the pleasant Gulf breezes many strangers were residing temporarily near the beach, and the number of these that were lost can not yet be estimated."

A sample of the damage at Galveston on September 9th, 1900
A Before photo is inset at left.

Houses lifted off their foundations and carried by the water, slamming into each other.

Warning Signs

Despite the horrendous loss of life, many people were saved by the actions of Galveston's Weather Bureau manager, Dr. Isaac M. Cline. Cline, and the Weather Bureau were aware of the hurricane as it passed over Cuba on a northern track. Consequently, warnings were issued for the eastern Gulf states, Florida and the southern Atlantic coast.

Since wireless ship-to-shore communication was not yet available in 1900, information was extremely sketchy and there was little if any knowledge that the hurricane was strengthening and heading toward Texas.

As the storm neared the Texas coast, Cline became increasingly suspicious of the weather. Convinced that a major storm was pending, he decided to raise the hurricane warning flags atop the Weather Bureau building on September 7th, the day before the hurricane struck. Throughout the 7th and the morning of September 8th, Cline continued to patrol the beach warning people to move to higher ground. With a population of more than 35,000 people, it is likely many more Galveston residents would have died without the warnings. In what would be the last message to reach the outside world, Cline said, "Gulf rising rapidly; half the city now under water."

The SEA WALL

In 1900, the highest point in Galveston was only 8.7 feet above sea level and the hurricane easily inundated the city with a storm surge of 15-20 feet.

With the terrible memories of the 1900 hurricane in mind, the people of Galveston began an unprecedented effort to protect their city from the next "big one." In 1902, they began constructing a 16-foot thick, 17-foot high sea wall covering three miles of oceanfront. They also began the monumental task of raising the entire island by as much as eight feet with sand dredged from Galveston Bay. Today's sea wall has been extended to a length of 10 miles of oceanfront to protect the heart of the city.

Editor's Note:   The numbers for this storm (and all storms prior to 1960) as estimates and approximations, since comprehensive national records were not collected or kept.  The Death toll is based upon written statements of the time, and the approximate number of missing persons.  Treat ALL number as approximate.

Source:  NOAA, NWS