Galveston Hurricane

A Hurricane

Learning Objectives

• Understand why the Galveston Hurricane caused a large amount of destruction.

• Explain the ways in which the Galveston Hurricane affected the development of Texas.

Galveston

•Galveston was an important port city before the hurricane.•Had a population around 36,000•One of the wealthiest cities per capita (income per person) in the U.S. and in TX•The city stands along the Gulf of Mexico, making it a major center of trade in Texas.•Galveston was only 8 to 10 feet above sea level. •Galveston Bay is the largest bay on the Texas Coast.

Galveston

By 1900 Galveston was one of the busiest ports in the United States. More than $85 million in cotton was exported from Galveston that year.

Galveston Firsts

•First electric lighting in Texas•First telephone call in Texas•First organized baseball game in Texas

Galveston At Risk for Hurricanes

•The city of Galveston is on Galveston Island, which is the barrier island that protects the Texas coast from the tides of the Gulf of Mexico.

•Barrier Island: an island that protects the coast from the damaging effects of tides •Hurricanes: a tropical storm with sustained winds of at least 74 miles per hour

View Hurricane from Space

Hurricane Basics

• Hurricanes need warm tropical oceans, moisture and light winds above them. If the right conditions last long enough, a hurricane can produce violent winds, incredible waves, torrential rains and floods.

Galveston HurricaneSeptember 8, 1900

•Category 4 hurricane•Winds blew more than 130 miles per hour•The worst natural disaster in US history.•Tallest point on the island in 1900 was 8.7 feet.•Winds created storm surges 15-20 feet high•$20 million in damage ($700 million in today’s world)

Galveston HurricaneSeptember 8, 1900

•People were not prepared for the severity of the storm•Destroyed buildings & pushed water onto the shore•Communication systems were destroyed – the island was cut off from help that may have saved lives

Effects of the Galveston Hurricane

• http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/environment/environment-natural-disasters/hurricanes/us-galveston1900-vin/

Effects of the Galveston Hurricane

•6,000 – 8,000 people were killed•3,600 homes destroyed•They built a seawall to prevent future floods. Today it stretches more than 10 miles. •They raised much of the city by pumping sand from the sea floor of the Gulf of Mexico.• Industries moved to Houston

Time to Rebuild

•The people of Galveston knew their old form of government would not be able to handle this huge task so they formed a new one.•The new government they chose was called a city commission.

Galveston Homes Lifted While Awaiting Sand From the Gulf

Building of the Seawall

Seawall under construction

Could it happen again, even after the sea wall was built?

4th most intense Hurricane EVER, “Rita 2005” winds of 180 mph

Houston and surrounding communities ordered to evacuate – Category 5 Rita

Yes, again in 2008

Before and After Hurricane Ike 2008

Closing

What are the Social, Political, and Economic Effects of the Galveston Hurricane?