Wasn't That a Mighty Storm

Wasn't That a Mighty Storm:

sung by Tom Rush, with contemporaneous photos by Thomas A. Edison. The song says there was a sea wall, but that wasn't built until later.

Today is the anniversary of the Galveston hurricane in 1900. It is 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 names the Galveston Hurricane "The deadliest hurricane in United States history". EyewitnessHistory.com has an article. Time says it "killed about 8,000 Americans and leveled what had been the largest city in Texas. It was a vicious storm with 130 mph winds." The Wikipedia entry on the storm is here.

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

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.