110 Years Ago: The Great Hurricane of 1900

A heartbreaking story from the Great Storm of 1900

On September 8th 1900 the worst natural disaster in the history of the United States (as measured by loss of life and excluding pandemics) occured when a high end category 4 hurricane virtually obliterated Galveston Texas. Estimates on the loss of life vary widely from as low as six thousand to as high as twelve thousand. So many families were wiped out entirely along with any close friends or relations that it was difficult to figure out who was missing or to identify bodies which suffered rapid decomposition in the heat and humidity. Thousands of people were cremated in mass funeral pyres and thousands more bodies were taken out to sea and dumped, though many later floated back into the harbor.

A fascinating video history of the disaster can be found here.