The Great Galveston hurricane, 1900
Approximately 3,600 houses and 600 businesses were destroyed in Galveston, an island off the coast of Texas, at the beginning of the 20th century. One of the state’s largest port cities, it was nearly wiped out by 140 mph winds and massive flooding.
The hurricane’s exact death toll remains unknown, but it’s believed that between 6,000 and 12,000 people lost their lives, representing one-sixth of the island’s population at the time. To this day, the Great Galveston hurricane is the deadliest natural disaster in U.S. history.
