15 moments that shook the planet

GREAT GALVESTON STORM (1900)

On September 8, 1900, the Great Galveston Storm made landfall in Galveston, Texas, as a devastating Category 4 hurricane. This event remains etched in history as the deadliest natural disaster in U.S. history and the most catastrophic hurricane ever recorded in the country. The toll of this relentless storm was staggering, with more than 8,000 lives lost and an additional 10,000 people left without homes.

Galveston, known as one of the most advanced cities in Texas at the time, bore the brunt of the hurricane’s fury. The city was ill-prepared for the ferocity of the storm, compounded by the fact that the barrier island of Galveston, where it stood, was only 5 feet (1.5 meters) above sea level. When the hurricane’s estimated tidal surge of 15 feet (4.5 meters) crashed onto the island, it overwhelmed the defenses and laid waste to the city.

Adding to the devastation was the lack of adequate storm forecasting technology of the era. Without the sophisticated tools available today, there was little warning of the impending disaster. The absence of accurate predictions left residents and authorities unprepared for the magnitude of the storm’s impact, both in terms of its physical destruction and the tragic loss of life that followed.