125 years later, the Galveston hurricane is still the deadliest U.S. storm
Most residents didn't know the storm was coming when it levelled most of the city, killing between 6,000 and 12,000 people.
125 years have passed since the deadliest natural disaster in U.S. history, the Galveston Hurricane of 1900. Galveston Historical Foundation’s Dwayne Jones shares how the city was destroyed.
On Sept. 8, 1900, the deadliest U.S. hurricane and natural disaster made landfall at Galveston, Texas. Storms weren't named in those days, but it became known as the "Great Galveston Hurricane" after wiping out the town and killing between 6,000 and 12,000 people.
An illustration from the French newspaper Le Petit Parisien showing the Galveston Hurricane. (Photo by Stefano Bianchetti/Corbis via Getty Images)
Destruction was nearly complete, with thousands of the city's wooden homes reduced to rubble by a 15-foot storm surge, twice as high as the city's elevation above sea-level. The town anemometer was destroyed by the winds after measuring 100 mph, but modern estimates put the hurricane's strength as a Category 4 storm.
Galveston Historical Foundation remembers the storm today
Dwayne Jones, Executive Director of the Galveston Historical Foundation, joined the AccuWeather Network this morning to discuss the hurricane's devastating impact and legacy it left behind. In 1900, Galveston was a thriving city with a population estimated at over 37,000 people, possibly higher due to the end-of-summer influx of visitors.
Photo Gallery: The Great Galveston Hurricane of 1900
"The city was among the wealthiest in the nation, thanks to its successful shipping industry and financial enterprises. Despite reports of an approaching storm, the residents were not significantly concerned until later on September 8th," Jones explained.
As a result, almost no one evacuated as the hurricane approached.
"The aftermath included a debris line stretching several miles along the beach, filled with bodies, buildings, and other wreckage," Jones recalled.
'Thousands of Dead Strew the Ruins of Galveston', Headline of The San Francisco Call, September 10, 1900, two days after the disaster. (Pictures From History/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
At noon Monday, a commemoration ceremony honored the lives lost during the hurricane, acknowledging the profound impact on families, friends, children, pets, and the broader community. "People are always interested in hearing about this part of Galveston's history," Jones said. "September 8th, 1900, changed the island forever."
On today’s episode, we take an interesting look back at the great Galveston hurricane of 1900 and how it changed the city and the state of Texas forever.
