The Great Galveston storm was the worst hurricane of its time. It destroyed more than 3,600 buildings, reaching wind speeds of 135 miles per hour. Estimates of the death toll range from 6,000 to 12,000 people killed in the tragedy. Tragically, the magnitude of the disaster could have been lessened had the U.S. Weather Bureau not implemented such poor communication policies.
At the time, the U.S. Weather Bureau was only ten years old, and the technology was not very advanced at the time. Most hurricane detection was just a few boats stationed in the Gulf of Mexico. The weathermen said that the storm was passing west, and would not hit any major cities. It turned out they were very wrong.
It was also hard to get the message to people, as they had to first notify Washington D.C. before any hurricane warnings were issued. This proved very slow and ineffective. When administrator Isaac Cline realized that the storm was coming, he tried warning the town, but he was too late. The town was forever ruined and would never be as prosperous as it once was.
Fun Facts:
- Damages to Galveston exceeded $20 million dollars.
- Today, that would be more than $700 million dollars.
- The highest elevation in Galveston was a mere 8.7 feet.
Aftermath:
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