Please Note:

This website is a work in progress. If you know anything about anyone who died in the storm, please contact Mic Barnette at [email protected] Thank You-MIC 

A lot has happened since the Great Galveston Storm of 1900. For one thing, on September 18, 1901 the City of Galveston dropped the mayor-alderman style of government and adopted the first commission formof government  in the country. Under this type of government he governor of the state appointed a mayor and four commissioners. Each commissioner controled a specific function of government -finance, police and fire control, water and sewage, street and public improvemnets. Later the form of government allowed for the elections of  officers.

In January 1902 a commission appointed engineering board consisting of Henry M Robert, Alfred Noble and Henry Clay Ripley recommended the county construct a 17 foot seawall and  elevate the land behind the seawall.

 In March 1902 Galveston County voters approved the issuance of $1.5 Million in bonds for funding the project. Construction of the seawall began in October 1902 and the initial part was completed in July 1903. The seawall began at 6th Street and extended to 39th Street. An addition to the seawall was authorized and funded by the United States Congress to protect Fort Crockett. This extension of the seawall was to run from 39th Street to 53rd Street. Construction on the extension of the seawall began in December 1902 and was completed in October 1903.

According to the engineering board's recommendation the City's elevation was to be raised to  17 feet,  the height of the seawall and slope downward toward the Bay side of the island. To fund the project the Texas Legislature in January 1903 approved a grade-raising bill that allowed the state to donate state taxes collected in Galveston County to the City of Galveston for a period of 15 years.

To elevate the land buildings for a 40 block long area had to be raised in the air to the desired height and the space filled in below them. Once the buildings made of brick, stone or wood were raised dredges removed a slurry of sand and water from Galveston Bay and pumped it beneath the buildings. While the dreging and filling-in was being conducted elevated plank walkways were constructed for people to walk around town. Once the land was filled in streets were paved and trees were planted.  The work began in July 1904 and was the initial phase was completed in  July 1910 at a cost of over $2 Million. The contractor of the project was a German company named  Goedhart and Bates.

An exhibit of photographs depicting this truly awsome island and city elevating feat can be seen in the lobby just outside the Galveston City Archives located in the Rosenburg Library in Galveston. I will check the links I have for this and other websites and see if any of the photgraphs contain pictures of the island raising process. Should I locate some pictures of this on the web I will make a link from this page.

There have been many tropical depressions and Storms that  have hit Galveston since the Great Gaveston Storm of 1900. Most notable and devastating were the following:

August 16-17, 1915.

 This storm was a category 4 storm with winds of 93 mph gussting to 120 mph. It brought 15.11" of rain and 12' waves. There were damages of $5-8 Million in Galveston and $56 Million in Texas. There were 50-52 people killed in Galveston and 275 in Texas on the mainland or in vessels.

While not as devastating to Galveston as the 1900 Strom this one showed the value of having the seawall. Had there not been a seawall Galveston would again have been covered with water and the death and damage totals would have been astronomical.

July 26-28, 1943

This storm was small in comparison to others. It was a category 2 hurricane with winds measured at 68 mph gusting to 90 mph. There was approximately 13.16" of rain and $16,600,000 in damages and 19 people lost their life along the Texas Coast.

September 9-12, 1961-Hurricane Carla

This was a category 4 hurricane and one of the first to be reported on television by the young and upcoming Dan Rather reporting from the seawall. Winds were reported at 80 mph with gusts to 170 mph. Rainfall was reported at 15.32 in downtown Galveston and 16.93" at Scoles Field. Damages was estimated at $18 million on Galveston Island and $400,000,000 for the storm. Over 50,000 people evacuated the island and 6 people were killed in Galveston and 46 storm wide. In addition there were 294 injuries reported in Galveston.

Auguust 17-1, 1983 Hurricane Alicia

This category 3 hurricane ranks 59th. It had winds reported at 77 mph with gusts to 127 mph. There was a total of  7.76" of rain, damages estimated at $510,000,000 in Galveston and $2 billion for the storm. No one was killed in Galveston but there were 21 deaths reported in the storm.

                       A List of Storms and Hurricanes                               Affecting Galveston Since 1900

Below is a list of hurricanes and storms as reported in Stan Blazyk's book A Century of Galveston Weather that have hit Galveston in the years 1900-1998. They are listed with their Saffir-Simpson scale storm status and their reported damage.

1900, July 13                     Disturbance          Minor

1900, September 8            Hurricane (4)         Catastrophic

1910, July 10                     Tropical Storm     Light

1902, June 27                    Hurricane (1)        Minor

1906, October 14              Depression            Minor

1908, September 18          Tropical Storm      Light

1909, July 21                     Hurricane (3)       Moderate

1915, August 17                Hurricane (4)       Catastrophic

1916, August 18                Hurricane (3)        Light

1919, September 11          Hurricane (4)        Minor

1921, June 22                    Hurricane (2)        Minor

1929, June 28                    Hurricane (1)        Light

1932, August 14                Hurricane (4)        Minor

1933, July 23                     Tropical Storm     Light

1933, September 5            Hurricane (4)        Minor

1934, July 25                     Hurricane (2)       Light

1934, August 27                Hurricane (1)        Light

1938, August 14                Hurricane (1)        Light

1938, September 11          Disturbance          Light

1938, October 17              Tropical Storm     Light

1940, August 7                  Hurricane (2)        Light

1941, September 23          Hurricane (3)        Minor

1942, August 21                Hurricane (1)        Minor

1942, August 30                Hurricane (3)        Minor

1943, September 17          Hurricane (1)       Light

1943, July 27                     Hurricane (2)       Major

1944, September 27          Tropical Storm     Light

1945, August 27                Hurricane (2)        Minor

1947, August 24                Hurricane (1)        Moderate

1949, October 3                Hurricane (2)       Moderate

1952, July 17                     Disturbance          Light

1956, September 30          Disturbance          Light

1957, June 27                    H-Audrey (4)       Moderate

1958, September 5            TS-Ella                 Minor

1959, June 26                    Disturbance          Light

1959, July 24                     H-Debra (1)          Moderate

1961, September 10          H-Carla (4)           Major

1963, September 17          H-Cindy (1)          Minor

1964, August 7                  TS-Abby               Light

1967, September 19          H-Beulah (3)        Light

1968, June 24                    TS-Candy             Light

1970, August 3                  H-Celia (3)           Light

1970, September 15          TS-Felice              Light

1971, September 10          H-Fern (1)            Minor

1973, September 5            TS-Delia               Minor

1977, September 2            H-Anita (3)           Light

1979, July 25                     TS-Claudette        Minor

1979, September 1            TS-Elena               Light

1980, August 7                  H-Allen (3)           Light

1980, September 5            TS-Danielle           Light

1981, June 5                      Depression            Moderate

1983, August 18                H-Alicia (3)          Major

1986, June 26                    H-Bonnie (1)        Light

1988, September 16          H-Gilbert (4)        Light

1989, June 26                    TS-Allison            Minor

1989, August 1                  H-Chantal (1)       Minor

1989, October 15              H-Jerry (1)            Moderate

1993, June 19                    TS-Arlene             Minor

1995, July 30                     TS-Dean               Light

1998, August 22                TS-Charley           Light

1998, September 11          TS-Frances           Moderate