GALVESTON, Texas (KTRK) — Monday, Sept. 8th marked 125 years since a massive hurricane hit Galveston Island. The storm was equivalent to what would be a present-day Category 4 hurricane. To this day, it’s the deadliest natural disaster in U.S. history, with an estimated 8,000 people killed. For the 125th anniversary of the historic storm, ABC13 Meteorologist Elyse Smith spoke to a native Galvestonian and maritime expert on how this hurricane shaped the future of the island.
Andy Hall is a maritime steward for the Galveston County Historical Society who works to preserve the island’s history. Prior to the 1900 storm, Galveston had a monopoly on sea trade amidst a local economic boom. Something he says a little town 50 miles north of the island was jealous of.
“Even before the 1900 storm, there was a lot of support in Houston for making Houston a deep-water port as early as 1875,” Hall said.
He notes that there were even conversations about dredging to create what we now know as the Houston Ship Channel. “The 1900 storm didn’t cause the Houston Ship Channel to be built, but it sort of put an exclamation point on the argument that they needed to do that,” Hall said.
Back on the island, it took decades for Galveston to rebuild and become what it is today. Hall explained that one of the biggest misconceptions around the 1900 storm is that the island was wiped clean. Yet, not all was lost or destroyed.
There are still signs of what once was before the 1900 storm, like mosquito fleet shrimp boats on Pier 19. “There are lots of, for example, photographs after the 1900 storm of those small vessels that were literally blown by the storm,” Hall said. Today, that spot is once again a bustling spot for shrimpers.
Another example is the downtown district and centuries-old buildings that stand even after countless more storms. Several local businesses even have high water markings on the exterior of their building to show how high the surge was during the most intense storms, like Hurricane Ike, the 1915 and 1900 storms.
“Galvestonians tend to take a little bit of pride in having gone through those things and not only survive those things, but actually come out better in the end on the other side,” Hall said.
Finally, one of the most iconic symbols from the 1900 storm is the Galveston Seawall. It was built after the 1900 storm to protect against future ones. At initial construction, the seawall was a little over 3 miles long and 17 feet tall. And during the 1915 hurricane, it proved its purpose in fortifying the island from an equally strong storm.
Today, the seawall is 10 miles in length and features a memorial to the 1900 storm, installed at the turn of the century. The statue of a man, woman, and child reflects the tragedy that occurred here, but more so a symbol of resiliency for this island community.
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