This hurricane was much worse than Katrina in terms of loss of life. Hot dry Saharan air mixes with warm moist air of the jungles of Africa interact sometimes in mid-August, which a cluster of thunderstorms forms and moves off to the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of western Africa. This cluster of thunderstorm of persisted over the open water. Most of the thunderstorms, which are tropical waves or easterly waves fade away harmlessly. However this one did not die out. The tropical wave gains strength and becomes a tropical depression and tropical storm. Then this storm makes landfall over Cuba, dumping heavy rain. It causes flooding. As this tropical storm moves into the Gulf of Mexico, it rapidly intensifies into a major hurricane. The hurricane is a Category 4, with sustained winds of 145 miles per hour with gusts as high as 180 miles per hour. The hurricane on the night of September 8, 1900, a Saturday, makes landfall on Galveston. Galveston was a prospering city, sometimes dubbed as "New York of the South" because it was a major port, business, and cultural center. It was a thriving city on the road of becoming a great city, like New York. The monster hurricane makes landfall. Strong gust of winds, tsunami like waves, storm surges, and heavy rain falls on Galveston. Many buildings are destroyed and the whole city is flooded. Once the storm passed, 6,000 to 12,000 people were killed from his mosnter hurricane. Many bodies were never recovered, most likely swept off to sea. The hurricane once inland, weakens into a tropical storm and depression. The storm fizzled out over Siberia eventually. The Great 1900 Hurricane is the worst disaster in US history. It is much worse then any battle in the Civil War, Johnstown Flood, San Francisco Earthquake, Titanic disaster, Pearl Harbor attack, and 9/11 terrorist attack. It is the worst hurricane in America and in the Atlantic besides Great Hurricane of 1780 and Mitch of 1998. No disaster has been worse since that horrible hurricane. Also, Galveston never fully recovered. It is now a seaside town. Houston overtook Galveston after the hurricane and built the Houston Ship Channel from 1909 to 1914, which is further inland, away from storm surges and waves. That dashed hopes for Galveston to full recover. It is one the busiest ports in the nation and world. Houston is now the fourth largest city with two million people in a metropolitan area of five million. Galveston built a seawall, which is 17 feet high to protect from high waves as a result. In addition, they elevated Galveston, so all buildings are higher and less likely to be affected by storm surges and waves. Galveston has been hit by hurricanes in 1915, 1961, and 1983, which had less lives lost due to early evacuation and satellites that track hurricanes.
The 1900 StormNOAA's Galveston Storm of 1900Galveston Historical Foundation-The 1900 StormWikipedia-Galveston Hurricane of 1900The 1900 Galveston HurricaneIsaac's StormWeather Underground-Great Galveston Hurricane
