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1 In 1900, Galveston, Texas, was a busy commercial port. It was also
a popular place to vacation. The city sat just along the Gulf of Mexico.
Warm waters lapped along its beaches. It would have been an ideal place
to visit at the time. But Galveston was on a barrier island. Barrier islands
can slow down storms approaching the mainland. They take the impact

of the damaging winds and storm surge that accompany a hurricane. This
was Galveston’s fate.
2 A few days before the “Great Storm,” scientists predicted the storm’s
path would go along the East Coast of the United States. Unfortunately
for the 38,000 residents of Texas, the storm changed direction. On
September 8, 1900, the hurricane struck.

THE STORM’S ARRIVAL

3 The ocean swelled. Waves rose twenty feet within hours. The storm surge
easily flooded the island that Galveston called home. Wind speeds grew
to 135 miles per hour. It was a Category 4 hurricane, the worst natural
disaster in U.S. history.

4 Buildings were shattered from the storm’s force. They washed up near
other collapsed buildings. People who hid in these structures were
crushed. Other people drowned. The storm wiped out entire blocks and
destroyed about 3,600 homes. About 8,000 people perished in the storm.

surge If there is a surge of water, there is a sudden large increase in its depth.
perished When people or animals perished, they died.

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