The 1900 Storm of Galveston
Galveston was one of the most promising cities in the state of Texas. With a population of around 37,000 people it was one of the richest cities in the U.S.A. It was one of the most conveniently located cities among the Gulf Coast. Galveston boasted of an excellent seaport. The city's good fortunes gave birth to a lot of millionaires. Most of their revenue came from the ships, which used its port to load and unload cotton. The warm climate attracted a lot of tourists who wanted to bath in the warm waters of the Gulf Coast. A lot of money was being made in every way possible. Morale was very high as the U.S. was getting more industrialized and adapting new technologies. Due to the turn of good events the people of Galveston thought that their city was invincible and nothing could go wrong.
That same proximity to the sea that made Galveston prosper changed Galveston forever," said Macdonald, a descendent of a 1900 Storm survivor and author of a driving tour about the history of the storm. (The 1900 Storm: Tragedy and Truimph, 2003)
Galveston was struck by a hurricane on September 8, 1900. Powerful winds running over 140 mph devastated the whole city. The force was so destructive that it simply swept away blocks of homes. The storm surged to a peak of 15.7 feet. It was estimated that 6000 residents of the city lost their lives due to the storm. Most of the city of Galveston was destroyed. It is estimated that the damage costs were more than 20 million dollars, which was a very princely sum for that time. This was one of the worst natural disasters in U.S. History. It was far worse than the tragic earthquake of San Francisco.
The storm emptied the streets out. The atmosphere was very gloomy because of all the carnage. There was a ton of debris lying around. The lives of the survivor were shattered forever due to the horrific events. Each person had lost someone he/she loved.
Isaac Cline, an employee at the Weather Bureau discovered played a very important role which led to the tragic events of the hurricane. Being a professional weatherman...
Isaac's Storm The Galveston City is a narrow island adjoining the Galveston bay. Marked by its distinct geographical position its highest point is only 8.7 feet above sea level. This Gulf city was devastated by one of the worst ever storm to strike America on September 8, 1900 claiming the lives of more than 8000 people and total destruction of properties. (Estimated at $30 million in 1900). The hurricane created giant
Galveston: A History (1986) by David G. McComb The book Galveston: A History is both a detailed chronological and thematic analysis, of the four-century-old history, mainly from a technological perspective, of Galveston, Texas. Its author, David G. McComb, "is a professor of history at Colorado State University, and has published numerous books and articles on Texas history" (Texas State Historical Association).The thesis of the book is that, throughout the history
"The Great Storm reigns today as the deadliest natural disaster in U.S. history. Between 10,000 and 12,000 people died during the storm...the added toll on commercial structures created a monetary loss of $30 million, about $700 million in today's dollars" (Smith 2003). A more recent powerful tropical system that affected the Texas coast was that of Hurricane Carla. Carla illustrated how storms are particularly damaging to the low-lying areas of
Because of this, the Outer Banks - barrier islands off the coast of North Carolina - often did not get timely weather information. The hurricane of 1944, which hit the Eastern coast from Cape Hatteras all the way up to Newfoundland, resulted in a major loss of life and significant damage on the Outer Banks (4). The United States, because of its climate, has experienced numerous devastating tornado outbreaks and
Dark Water Rising by Marian Hale, Seth's family moved to Galveston, TX. In early September 1900 the town was nearly wiped out by a storm that killed nearly 8,000 inhabitants. The novel set just before the storm. At seventeen years old, Seth is discontented with his life. His mother forces him to look after his annoying siblings including a sister and his younger brothers. His father wants him to go
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