The Galveston hurricane was in September, 1900 -- 105 years ago next week. Death estimates range from a minimum of 6,000 to 12,000. I understand they still dig up skeletons.
Galveston was a prosperous and vibrant city, a center of banking and finance, more prominent than its northern neighbor, Houston. It was filled with lovely large Victorian homes and high society. Despite warning messages sent to the Galveston weather office from counterparts in the Carribean, no one prepared for the storm.
"Isaac's Storm" -- the title referring to the Galveston weather bureau chief -- tells the horrid story in detail.
The city was largely flattened, funeral pyres burning on the beach for weeks. But Galveston not only rebuilt, they raised the city. Literally. Jacked up the houses, brought in many tons of sand, moved the entire town straight up and installed a sea wall to keep the ocean corralled. A massive and most impressive undertaking.
No looting.
The story is amazing and inspiring. If ever in Galveston, visit the Hurricane Museum on The Strand. I love the pictures of sidewalks suspended above the ground while the "raising" was underway.
So far it's worked. But, then, it's been a while since Galveston got a direct hit.
Thanks for the info. I read Isaac's Storm. Great book.
I wonder if it is a cowinkydink that there was no looting in the days before gun control? umm.
Yes there was looting. I am from the area, and the harsh actions taken against looters are legendary. There were looters who were cutting off the fingers of the dead to steal their rings. Martial law was declared in Galveston, and looters were beaten, shot and jailed. There is so much hype going around about this Katrina already, and this outrageous post does not help. Ane the post that started this thread, that there are thousands dead and their deaths are being covered up, is pure BS.
Thewre was no looting in Galveston for two reasons..there was nothign left to lot, and no one alive to do the looting...it was a small, contained community, as opposed to the hundreds of miles hit today..