The Galveston Hurricane of 1900

[PhiI C]

was the worse hurricane disaster ever in regards to loss of life. It occurred on Monday, September 8, 1900. Property loss was enourmess but it paled with the loss of lives. Estimates of the loss of life vary between 6,000 to maybe 10,000. It is estimated that 90 percent of the City lost it's lives. The hurricane was a category 4 hurricane with 140 mph winds which was dangerous but even more dangers were the 16 ft tidal waves that devastated a city that was already below sea level. It is true that the residents did not have access like we have today but to say they were completely unaware would be misleading because the storm had hit the carribean and there were telegraph wires that told how devestating the storm would be. Of course there was no way of knowing where the storm was going but it would have been best to have got out while you could and not take a chance. The bottom line is that many people lost their lives and unfortunately became statistics.

[PhiI C]

The Galveston Hurricane lost several thousand lives maybe as high as 10,000. The San Francisco Earthquake took 700 lives. Strange more movies have been made about the later while none about the Galveston Hurricane.

[BMOC]

What is sad is that the Weather Channel is saying that RITA is going to be pretty disaterous as well, they just don't know where it's going to hit.

[WOS1]

If you ever visit Galveston, make sure you go watch "The Great Storm" attraction on the Strand. It will tell you all you will ever want to know about that storm. I've seen it at least five times and still watch it every time I go. The devestation that storm left is just unimaginable. It took hundreds of old homes and completely wiped them out and piled all of the rubble up in the middle of the city along with an estimated 5,000 dead. It describes the stinch of death days after the disaster and how they just burned all the piled up rubble with the bodies. Thousands of families never knowing what became of their loved ones. As complete a picture of devestation as has ever been seen by this country.

Folks, this storm that has it's sites fixed on us right now will be just as strong as the one in 1900. Those poor souls did not think that a storm could be so devestating. DON'T make the same mistake. If the storm is heading your direction, GET THE HELL OUT OF TOWN!!!

[GreenGobbla]

Originally posted by WOS1
If you ever visit Galveston, make sure you go watch "The Great Storm" attraction on the Strand. It will tell you all you will ever want to know about that storm. I've seen it at least five times and still watch it every time I go. The devestation that storm left is just unimaginable. It took hundreds of old homes and completely wiped them out and piled all of the rubble up in the middle of the city along with an estimated 5,000 dead. It describes the stinch of death days after the disaster and how they just burned all the piled up rubble with the bodies. Thousands of families never knowing what became of their loved ones. As complete a picture of devestation as has ever been seen by this country.

Folks, this storm that has it's sites fixed on us right now will be just as strong as the one in 1900. Those poor souls did not think that a storm could be so devestating. DON'T make the same mistake. If the storm is heading your direction, GET THE HELL OUT OF TOWN!!!

amen! it seems like this guy knows what he is talking about, so get out of town and be safe

[systemofaflamer]

lol, although the post above is actually pretty interesting...don't stay there too long b/c the town is a POS (piece of dung) i'm currently living there and had to evacuate, but i must say that the town is very organized these days when it comes to hurricane warnings and getting out of there. so hopefully there won't be any loss of lives

[WOS1]

That one attraction has given me and my family much respect for the power of a hurricane, as, I'm sure, you can tell.:)

[WOS1]

Originally posted by systemofaflamer
lol, although the post above is actually pretty interesting...don't stay there too long b/c the town is a POS (piece of dung) i'm currently living there and had to evacuate, but i must say that the town is very organized these days when it comes to hurricane warnings and getting out of there. so hopefully there won't be any loss of lives

LOL, I agree! Nice place to visit, but no place to live. Have you ever went and watched "The Great Storm"? If not, you should check it out sometime when you're bored.

[spiveyrat]

Originally posted by PhiI C
was the worse hurricane disaster ever in regards to loss of life. It occurred on Monday, September 8, 1900. Property loss was enourmess but it paled with the loss of lives. Estimates of the loss of life vary between 6,000 to maybe 10,000. It is estimated that 90 percent of the City lost it's lives. The hurricane was a category 4 hurricane with 140 mph winds which was dangerous but even more dangers were the 16 ft tidal waves that devastated a city that was already below sea level. It is true that the residents did not have access like we have today but to say they were completely unaware would be misleading because the storm had hit the carribean and there were telegraph wires that told how devestating the storm would be. Of course there was no way of knowing where the storm was going but it would have been best to have got out while you could and not take a chance. The bottom line is that many people lost their lives and unfortunately became statistics.

Galveston is/was below sea level??? :confused: How could that be?

[Owen B]

Originally posted by PhiI C
Of course there was no way of knowing where the storm was going but it would have been best to have got out while you could and not take a chance.I agree with the statement, but they didn't know, and also didn't really have a safe place they could get to in time, given their available modes of transportation.

[Phil C]

It was too late once it hit or got near but my point is that there were officials that knew about it when it was in the Carribean by telegraph and if they had started immediately they could have had time to have got out even back then. Of course they didn't know it would hit there and thought they were safe.

[Phil C]

Many people call this hurricane "Issac's Storm" because ten years before Meteorlogist Issac Cline said Galveston was safe from stomr surge because of geography which turned out to be wrong. Also many people took the comment to mean Galveston was immune from hurricanes all together. It turned out to be an unfortunately wrong assumption.

[Phil C]

In 1983 Hurricane Alicia hit just south of Galveston even though Galveston got part of the storm. It caused some damage but fortunately was not the devestating storm of 1900. The night Alicia hit Mr. and Mrs. Garcia had a baby girl. She would be 22 now. Guess what they named her? :)

[Buccaneer]

Originally posted by Phil C
In 1983 Hurricane Alicia hit just south of Galveston even though Galveston got part of the storm. It caused some damage but fortunately was not the devestating storm of 1900. The night Alicia hit Mr. and Mrs. Garcia had a baby girl. She would be 22 now. Guess what they named her? :)

Philicia?

[GreenGobbla]

ima so no.....it would prolly be alicia

[Phil C]

Good job Green! Magnificient deduction.