The Galveston Hurricane

Today is the anniversary of the Galveston hurricane in 1900. It was the worst natural disaster in our history, with over 6,000 dead. Some estimates are that up to 12,000 people were killed. NOAA has extensive information, including links to contemporaneous accounts and period photographs. CNN has an in-depth report here, including maps and videos. Weather.com lists the Galveston Hurricane as 4th in their list of top 10 storms of the century. The wikipedia entry on the storm is here. There is a 90-minute History Channel special you can watch online here.

Here is a silent video from 1900 of workers looking for bodies in the aftermath of the storm:


Here's a video from the Texana Review, "scenes of devastation, wreck and ruin":


Here's a 1994 news report focusing on the beach-side orphanage that was destroyed in the storm:

A ship smashed into the building, the orphanage was lifted off its foundation and the roof caved in, trapping the orphans and Catholic sisters inside. The only survivors were 3 of the children who clung to a tree where they had washed up.