September 8, 1900 -The Galveston Hurricane

[Niagara]

On September 8, 1900, Galveston, Texas was hit by a hurricane that it's residents and visitors were not expecting. The estimated death toll was 8 to 12 thousand people and the residents were still finding the deceased months later after this devastating storm.




The residents who decided to stay wanted to make their city safer and came up with a 2 step plan. The plan was to build a giant concrete seawall and raise the elevation by pumping in sand from the ocean bottom. They began work on the seawall in 1902 and it was completed in 1904.




During the construction of the seawall



The seawall completed




After completing the seawall, the structures were lifted before the pumping of sand began.


The pumping of sand to raise the elevation



The Weather Channel aired an educational piece last year about the hurricane and the rebuild. I'm going to include the video since it explains more in depth and it's 42 minutes long. It's worth watching if anyone has the time to watch.

This bronze sculpture is the 1900 Storm Memorial, installed in 2000 and created by David W. Moore. It's dedicated to the victims and survivors of the 1900 hurricane.

[smirkymonkey]

1. K&R

[dweller]

2. read Isaac's Storm ...

will scare you seriously...
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac's_Storm

✌🏼

[Niagara]

3. Thanks for the book recommendation

I will see if my public library has it.

[eppur_se_muova]

5. Great read. Only a few years later, it couldn't have happened ...

... ship-to-shore radio *almost* provided the needed warning at the time. Once most ships had radio, it became extremely unlikely that anyone could lose track of a hurricane ever again, even before weather radar and satellites. Just bad luck that it struck when it did.

[Crafty Girl]

10. I read it a couple of years ago

Really good book. There was a bit of arrogance involved in not accepting the Cuban predictions.

[Lisa0825]

4. I live on the mainland, and work in Galveston.

The history of the storm and aftermath is embedded in the island. The 1900 storm and also Ike are defining moments in our history. We are always at the mercy of nature.

[Niagara]

11. The Galveston Island is beautiful

I'm hoping one day to visit so that I can experience Galveston. I hear that they make downright incredible taffy to boot.

[Lisa0825]

16. You can even watch a "Taffy Pull" at La King's!

Super fun place for candy-lovers!

[malaise]

6. I discovered details on this hurricane by accident

Someone suggested that the Glen Campbell song Galveston was about that hurricane - that song was the first time I'd heard of Galveston.

It wasn't about the hurricane but it mentions the wind as the writer was on the beach

Thanks for the thread

[Rowdyag]

8. I'd heard it was an anti-war song

[Niagara]

12. Thank for sharing the artist and song

I've never heard of Glean Campbell until you shared this. The only country music I listen to is Johnny Cash.

[littlemissmartypants]

15. I went to High School with his wife, Kim. nt

[pansypoo53219]

7. i found a great book by THE clara barton about the red cross & i read only a few disasters, but

i did read the galveston chapter. talked of the rummage people donated + one woman whose hair was entangled in a chandelier. read it eons ago. now i wish i hadn't ebayed it.

[Niagara]

13. I'll look for this book

Thank you.

[pansypoo53219]

17. library might have have it. amazon has it. UGH! i had it in hard cover. only read a few disasters.

very cool estate sale. books were free. i took as many as i could carry home.

[pecosbob]

9. This was taught in schools in Texas when I was young

It was a real baddy and at the time there were no plans for evacuation or coastal defense.

Another quick history lesson...settlers founded the town of Indianola on the edge of Matagorda Bay (near present Corpus Christi). The town was hit by a serious hurricane a few years later and was totally wiped out. These settlers were determined though, so they rebuilt the town...and it was again destroyed by another hurricane some years later. They persevered and rebuilt the town a third time. When it was again destroyed by a hurricane they gave up and moved somewhere else. All that remains now is a sign that marks the location. I think there's a lesson somewhere here.

[Niagara]

14. Interesting

Thank you


I would have given up after the first hurricane and gotten the heck out of dodge. It was more difficult for the settlers to move, so I understand why they would want to stay and to rebuild.