At the time only two large storms were known to have struck the Texas coast, both in Matagorda Bay 150 miles to the south of Galveston. In fact, some wondered if his statement was perhaps local propaganda intended to help the city grow faster than its neighbor, Houston, which was also vying for the position of being the largest port city in the South. In 1892, Cline had written an article in the Galveston News about the local weather stating that a hurricane striking the city was an “absurd delusion.” He said, “It would be impossible for any cyclone to create a storm wave that would materially injure Galveston.” At that time, no one understood hurricanes, but it was soon proved how naive Cline had been. At that time of year storms are common so Cline was not worried. The head of the USWB office in Galveston was Isaac Cline. Weather Bureau (USWB), now the National Weather Service. Galveston was put under a storm warning by the central office of the U. Septemwas a normal summer Galveston Friday: hot, muggy, and dry. Visitors to Galveston were struck by how flat the city was–so close to sea level that ships in the Gulf produced the illusion that they were sailing on the streets. The highest elevation on the island was only about eight feet above sea level in 1900. The city of Galveston is located on the east end of the island, and at the time of the hurricane, it was home to about 38,000. Galveston is an island off the coast of Texas, about 30 miles long and one-and-one-half to three miles wide. When the storm had passed it became the deadliest natural disaster in U. That was the day of the Category 4 hurricane of 1900, and it took the city by complete surprise. But all Galveston’s hopes and dreams were shattered in one day. It was a prosperous port city full of grandeur, opulence, grace, and charm and had the potential of becoming the greatest city in the South–in other words, the New York of the Gulf. Galveston, Texas, the third-richest city in the United States in 1900, was one of the fastest booming places in the country.
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