THE GALVESTON HURRICANE OF 1900

Burial at seaThere were too many victims to bury. So remains, human and animal, were loaded onto carriages to be transported to barges and then dropped into the Gulf of Mexico. Many bodies floated back to shore and were eventually burned.





One in six deadSurvivors search through rubble for bodies. Although the actual death toll of the storm is unknown, it is estimated that between 6,000 and 12,000 people fell victim. St. Mary's Orphanage, home to 93 children and 10 Catholic nuns, was one of the first buildings claimed by the storm. The only survivors were three boys who managed to cling to an uprooted tree floating in




Horrible sightIsaac Cline was the U.S. Weather Bureau meteorologist in Galveston at the time of the 1900 hurricane. Cline dismissed the idea that a hurricane could reach Galveston, until the warning flags were raised at sea. By then it was too late. Later, he described the storm's aftermath as "one of the most horrible sights that ever a civilized people looked upon."








Wreckage and debris The wreckage and debris was widespread in Galveston after the storm.In 1900, the highest point in the city was less than 9 feet above sea level. The hurricane caused waves higher than 15 feet to wash over the island, smashing buildings to rubble.

Gallery: Galveston storm of 1900