8.7 feet: The highest elevation on Galveston Island in 1900.
• 15.7 feet: The height of the storm surge.
• 28.55 inches: Barometric pressure recorded in Galveston, 30 miles from where the eye of the storm is best estimated. At the time, this was the lowest barometric pressure ever recorded.
• 6,000 to 8,000: Number of people estimated to have died during the storm.
• 37,000 people: Population of Galveston in 1900.
• 3,600: Number of buildings destroyed by the storm.
• 130 to 140 miles per hour: Speed meteorologists estimate the winds reached during the storm.
• $20 million: Estimated damage costs related to the storm. In today’s dollars, that would be more than $700 million.
The eastern portion of th island was elevated on the debris left by the storm, where the seawall is. When you drive the island, you will see basement windows on the older homes. These are actually the first floor of the structure as it existed before the hurricane.