20. The Galveston Hurricane of 1900
The hurricane known as the Great Storm of 1900 was not only the deadliest hurricane to ever hit the United States, but the greatest natural disaster in American history in terms of loss of human life. Estimates range from 6,000 to 12,000 deaths as a result of the storm, with most agreeing on the frequently cited figure of 8,000 dead. The exact amount of loss of human life will never be known. The storm changed the history of Texas, as the aftermath led to the shift to Houston as the major trade center for investors in the state, and Galveston’s reign as the leading port came to an end.
The entire island of Galveston was flooded by the storm surge and all bridges which connected the island to the mainland were destroyed. An orphanage on the island, St. Mary’s, had 103 residents at the time of the storm; ten nuns and 93 children. Only three children survived. The storm turned to the northeast over Texas and crossed the United States into Canada, where at least 53 Canadians lost their lives, and possibly as many as 350 were killed. Ships were sunk on Lake Erie by the combination of the high winds and the rough waters. In New York City water and harbor debris overtopped the seawall along the battery. In Texas, the city of Galveston was destroyed, though rebuilding began less than three weeks after the storm passed over the island.
Where do we find this stuff? Here are our sources:
“A Texas ghost town yields hard hurricane lessons”. Joe Holley, Houston Chronicle. September 22, 2017
“It’s been 120 years since Georgia had a major hurricane like Michael”. Brad Nitz, WSB-TV Atlanta. October 11, 2018. Online
“Hurricane Diane, 1st $1 Billion Hurricane, Wallops New England in 1955″, New England Historical Society. Online
“Nation’s meanest hurricane devastated the Keys 80 years ago”. Ken Kaye, South Florida Sun Sentinel. August 28, 2015
“The Great New England Hurricane of 1938”. Sarah Zielinski, Smithsonian.com. August 25, 2011
“The Atlantic Hurricane Season of 1969”. R. H. Simpson, Arnold L. Sugg, Monthly Weather Review. April, 1970
“1915 – Galveston Hurricane”. Entry, Hurricanes: Science and Society. Online
“Heart of Louisiana: 1915 hurricane”. WVUE TV. June 22, 2018
“A Hurricane Destroyed This Louisiana Resort Town, Never to Be Inhabited Again”. Erick Trickey, Smithsonian.com. January 4, 2017
“60 years ago, Hurricane Audrey became one of the deadliest storms in US history”. Darla Guillen, Houston Chronicle. July 19, 2017
“1926 Miami: The blow that broke the boom”. Stuart McIver, South Florida Sun Sentinel. September 19, 1993
“Deadliest hurricanes on record to hit the United States”. Factbox, Reuters. August 25, 2017
“Texas Hurricane History”. David M. Roth, Weather Prediction Center. April 8, 2010. Pdf, online
“Cheniere Caminada’s ‘Great October Storm'”. Christie Matherne Hall, Country Roads Magazine. September 27, 2016
“Looking Back: 10 Things to Know About Hurricane Katrina”. Avery Stone, Yahoo Life. Online
“The 1928 Hurricane”. Entry, Palm Beach County History Online
“The Great Hurricane of 1780: The Story of the Greatest and Deadliest Hurricane of the Caribbean and the Americas”. Wayne Neely. 2012
“As Terrible As Harvey Is, The Galveston Hurricane Of 1900 Was Much, Much Worse”. Kevin Murnane, Forbes. August 27, 2017