Aftermath of the Galveston Hurricane of 1900

The following morning a 20 mph breeze off the Gulf of Mexico greeted the survivors as they put
aside the terror of the storm. The skies were clear as they realized what horror the cleanup
would be.
Due to the destruction of the bridges to the mainland and the telegraph lines, no word of the
city's destruction was able to reach the mainland until one of the few ships that survived was
able to make it to Texas City. When they reached the telegraph office in Houston two days later
a short message was sent to the Texas Governor and President William McKinley: "I have been
deputized by the mayor and Citizen's Committee of Galveston to inform you that the city of
Galveston is in ruins."
The city of Houston knew a powerful storm had blown through, and had made ready to provide
assistance. Workers set out by rail and ship for the island almost immediately. Rescuers arrived
to find a city destroyed. Eight thousand people had lost their lives, a fifth of the island's
population. Most had drowned or been crushed as the waves pounded the debris that had been
their homes hours earlier. Many survived the storm itself, but died after several days trapped
under the wreckage of the city, with rescuers unable to reach them.

Changes to the City

To prevent future storms from causing destruction like that of the 1900 hurricane, many
improvements to the island were made. The first three miles of the 17 foot high Galveston
Seawall were built beginning in 1902. An all-weather bridge was constructed to the mainland to
replace the ones destroyed in the storm.
The most dramatic effort to protect the city was its raising. Dredged [muddy] sand was used to
raise the city of Galveston by as much as 17 feet above its previous elevation. Over 2,100
buildings were raised in the process, including the 3000 ton St. Patrick's Church.
In 1915, a storm of similar strength and track to the 1900 hurricane struck Galveston. The 1915
storm brought a 12 foot storm surge which tested the new seawall. Although 275 people lost
their lives in the 1915 storm, this was a great reduction from the thousands that died in 1900.
To cope with the emergency and rebuild the city, a new type of city government was formed.
Galvestonians replaced their mayor and city council with a commission form of government. The
city’s residents elected five commissioners, each of whom focused on a specific government
function. Each commissioner was in charge of one city department, such as police, fire, or water
services. Together they made laws for the city. The commission form of government blended
the legislative and executive branches’ responsibilities. Galveston’s commission succeeded by
relying on expertise and efficiency.
Impact on Houston
Due to the destruction in Galveston, development shifted north to Houston, which was enjoying
the benefits of the oil boom at the time. The dredging of the Houston Ship Channel in 1909 and
1914 ended Galveston's hopes of returning to its former state as a major industrial center and
instead put Houston on the map as a major Gulf port city. Had it not been for the hurricane,
Houston would not be the major metropolis that it has become.
Today Galveston is considered the playground of Houston. Homes and other buildings that
survived the hurricane have been preserved, and give much of the city a Victorian look. The
seawall, since extended to ten miles, is now an attraction itself, as hotels and tourist attractions
have been built along its length in seeming defiance of future storms.