Introduction
Before the devastating hurricane, Galveston was a rich port city and a major business hub center. The 1900 hurricane that hit the city of Galveston in Texas, remains the deadliest in terms of natural disasters ever witnessed in the history of America. On the 8th of September, 1900, a category four hurricane hit Texas’ coastal city of Galveston destroying buildings and other infrastructure in the process. Hurricanes are catastrophic and are capable of causing significant damage as a result of storm surges, rip currents, wind damage, and flooding. They are formed when the warm, moist air and over large water bodies start rising, cooler air replaces the rising moist air. As the process continues, thunderstorms and large clouds start to grow and rotate, this is a result of the Coriolis Effect on the earth.
Background
Hurricanes occur naturally, however, human activities are making natural disasters like hurricanes unnaturally more harmful. By accelerating climate change, humans are increasing the catastrophic potential of hurricanes and other extreme weather events. The human impact on global warming through the combustion of fossil fuels is already increasing the destructive potential of hurricanes and it will continue to do so in the future (Trenberth). The impact of human-caused climatic changes on storms manifests itself in a variety of ways. Hurricanes receive their intensity from warm waters, oceans, and other water bodies that are warming up fast. Over the years, people have become well aware of hurricanes and what they are capable of doing, as a result, they have taken measures in preparation for such catastrophes.
The Event
The Galveston Hurricane
On the 8th of September, 1900, a category four hurricane ripped through Texas’ coastal city of Galveston. The hurricane is estimated to have claimed an estimate of almost 8,000 people. “On that day, a nearly 15-foot tall storm surge flooded Galveston, the city itself was situated not less than 9 feet above sea level, many homes, buildings, and other infrastructures were destroyed in the process” (Hyser). The storm was first noticed on 27th August that same year in the Atlantic tropics. The hurricane hit the coast of Cuba in the form of a tropical storm and proceeded in the west-northwest direction. After reaching the “Gulf of Mexico,” the intensity of the storm increased. The residents of the Gulf Coast were cautioned of the looming storm, however, many did not heed the cautions. The storm hit Galveston, Texas on 8th September, the city had an approximate population of about 40,000 people at that time.
The storm surges and winds moving at a speed of 130 miles per hour proved too much for the town that was 9 feet above sea level. The storm surge being almost 15-foot tall meant that the city was underwater for some time. From Galveston, Texas, the storm proceeded to the New England and Great Lake regions, as a result, the regions were subjected to strong winds and heavy rainfall. The storm lasted for nineteen days; it started forming on August 27th and ended on 15th September, leaving death and destruction in its wake.
Impact of Galveston Hurricane of 1900
The town of Galveston and its residents should have been aware of the impending disaster given the fact that the city is located along the coast. There were no sea walls constructed to protect the city from hazards like hurricanes. The storm’s impact on Galveston was severe since there was no emergency plan in place on what to do in the event of such disasters and the lack of sea walls to the residents of Galveston from dangerous ocean activities like hurricanes. People also disregarded the information on the changing weather in the sea that ships and other vessels that were returning from sea.
Before the Galveston Hurricane of 1900, the city had been struck by hurricanes at least 11 times, all in the 19th century. These resulted in a discussion to erect a sea wall in the following years, but no one was able to put it into action, this proved to be costly in the year 1900. When the wind and the rain came to a stop and the water had drained, those who survived the storm surfaced from shelters to a dreadful sight Aside from the number of casualties, the damage to property value was estimated to be worth around millions of dollars. Almost two-thirds of the city’s infrastructure was destroyed. The majority of the infrastructure in the remaining one-third was severely damaged.
The impact was so devastating that it took the city of Galveston close to twelve years to rebuild. Even after rebuilding, the city was never able to regain the previous status it had before the devastating hurricane. Before the storm ripped through Galveston, the city had been the country’s busiest port. To help rebuild, the city received donations from millionaires in New York City, Red Cross, and citizens from other states and nations like South Africa and Germany. In addition to attempting to lift people’s spirits and lifeless bodies- literally from the debris, the coastal city too had to also be elevated to safeguard the low-lying areas from hurricanes in the future (Waxman, p3). Engineers erected a three-mile-long, 17-foot-tall sloping barricade to drive waves back to the ocean.
Assessment of Mitigation
The aftermath of the hurricane saw almost every property and infrastructure left in rubble and over 8,000 people dead. It is safe to say that the people of Galveston were not prepared to deal with such a disaster. They also got the warnings late and there was no time to evacuate and move to higher lands from the lowlands. This was due to the tension that resulted from the Spanish-American war at that time, the U.S weather Bureau director is said to have blocked the telegraph messages that were being sent by the Cuban meteorologists. Because of the uncertainty that came from the vague messages about the storm received earlier, those in charge of the Galveston weather Bureau were forced to seek permission from central offices before they issued the warnings of the storm to the residents. This gave people even less time to get away from the rushing storm.
Galveston was a port city, this meant that people were busy with their respective activities, some people were there on vacation while some were conducting their business, and these are some of the indications that people were not prepared for such a disaster. Had the telegraph message reached its intended destination, many lives would have been saved. People would have been informed of the impending dangers and they would have been away from the city by the time the hurricane reached the city. Had there been sophisticated or advanced meteorological equipment like there is today, experts would have been able to detect and keep track of the storm’s movement and even plot a course to identify the most and least likely areas the storm would hit. This information would be very useful and if shared with the public, many would be able to arrange their travel schedules based on the weather reports they receive to help them keep off areas like Galveston to avoid such a disaster.
It is impossible to prevent a natural disaster from occurring, but hatching and putting in place an emergency plan can be key in ensuring that minimal damage occurs in the event of a natural disaster like an earthquake or a hurricane. Education, awareness, warning systems, predictions, and preparedness can help lessen the disruptive nature of a natural catastrophe like a hurricane on a community (National Research Council, p21). For instance, warning systems installed in some countries along the Caribbean Islands have helped reduce the loss of lives as a result of hurricanes. Flood damage in several sensitive locations has been greatly reduced because of the restriction on the permanent settlement within floodplains.
The advancements being realized in the fields of hazards and risk valuations offer decision-makers more useful and accurate data on a looming natural disaster that may have devastating impacts on society. However, the challenge that remains is the application of the information and turning the existing understanding of natural disasters into practice in communities to protect significant investments in new and existing developments. It should also be noted that despite their amplified susceptibility to natural hazards, numerous regions are fighting the enactment of mitigation procedures.
Socioeconomic and political controls occur, and mitigation plans are often seen as restraining, luxurious, and contradictory to the society’s development in terms of their economy. Community dedication, acknowledgment of limitations and challenges, and creative alternatives are necessary to make advancements toward the implementation of mitigation policies. Mitigation demands a team approach that is free of groups with special interests to dominate; each field has a role to play and contributions to make. Effective mitigation strategies are more likely to be implemented if scholars, practitioners, and legislators communicate and coordinate closely.
Conclusion
Since it is nearly impossible to prevent natural disasters, it is important to have a plan outlining what to do before and after the disaster. It is also crucial to have mitigations strategies implemented to help reduce the impacts that may result in case a natural disaster occurs.
Natural catastrophes kill a significant number of people each year and cost the economy billions of dollars. They can affect any country or group, no one is immune to them. The hurricane that ripped through the city of Galveston had a devastating impact, even though the city managed to rebuild, the Galveston that rose from the debris was never the same again. The new Galveston was unable to regain its status as a shipping yard as it did before the storm. The storm is partly to blame and also because of oil being discovered in Huston years later, this shifted the economic momentum in Texas, Galveston had become nothing but just a beach town.
Works Cited
“4. Mitigation.” National Research Council. 1991. A Safer Future: Reducing the Impacts of Natural Disasters. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
Hyser, Raymond. “Texas Hurricanes: Past, Present, and Future.” Not Even Past: Texas (2021).
McElreath, David H., et al. “Dangers from the sea: Considerations of the 1900 Galveston hurricane.” International Journal of Maritime History 29.3 (2017): 529-543. Web.
Trenberth, Kevin E. “Climate change caused by human activities is happening and it already has major consequences.” Journal of Energy & Natural Resources Law 36.4 (2018): 463-481.
Waxman, Olivia. “How Texas Rebuilt After The Deadliest Hurricane In U.S. History”. Time, 2017, Web.