# Canonical recap data for Galveston Hurricane of 1900 (1900)
# Source: https://recap.at/1900/galveston-hurricane-1900
# Format: YAML 1.2 (UTF-8). Generated at request time.
slug: galveston-hurricane-1900
canonicalUrl: "https://recap.at/1900/galveston-hurricane-1900"
title: Galveston Hurricane of 1900
subtitle: The deadliest natural disaster in U.S. history killed over 6,000 people and prompted the first large-scale American disaster relief effort.
recapType: global_event
eventStatus: concluded
startDate: 1900-08-27
endDate: 1900-09-17
datePrecision: day
year: 1900
decade: 1900
country:
name: United States
slug: united-states
summaryShort: The 1900 Galveston hurricane was a catastrophic tropical cyclone that became the deadliest natural disaster in the history of the United States. The strongest storm of the 1900 Atlantic hurricane season, it left between 6,000 and 12,000 fatalities; the number most cited in official reports is 8,000. Most of these death
summaryLong: The 1900 Galveston hurricane was a catastrophic tropical cyclone that became the deadliest natural disaster in the history of the United States. The strongest storm of the 1900 Atlantic hurricane season, it left between 6,000 and 12,000 fatalities; the number most cited in official reports is 8,000. Most of these deaths occurred in and near Galveston, Texas, after the storm surge inundated the coastline city with 8 to 12 ft of water. As of 2026, it remains the fourth deadliest Atlantic hurricane on record. In addition to the number killed, the storm destroyed about 7,000 buildings in Galveston, which included 3,636 demolished homes; every dwelling in the city suffered some degree of damage. The hurricane left approximately 10,000 people in the city homeless, out of a total population of fewer than 38,000. The disaster ended the Golden Era of Galveston; the hurricane alarmed potential investors, who turned to Houston instead. In response to the storm, three engineers designed and oversaw plans to raise the Gulf of Mexico shoreline of Galveston Island by 17 ft (5.2 m) and erect a 10 mi (16 km) seawall.
heroImageUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/73/1900_Galveston_hurricane_weather_map_%28high_quality%29_%2819877020%29.jpg/1280px-1900_Galveston_hurricane_weather_map_%28high_quality%29_%2819877020%29.jpg"
heroImageCredit: Wikipedia · "1900 Galveston hurricane"
importance: 81
sourceConfidence: 75
keyFacts: []
timeline: []
sources:
- url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1900_Galveston_hurricane"
  title: Galveston Hurricane of 1900
  provider: Wikipedia
related: []
categories:
- disaster
metaDescription: The 1900 Galveston hurricane was a catastrophic tropical cyclone that became the deadliest natural disaster in the history of the United States. The strongest s
wikidataQid: Q186166
archiveSnapshots:
- url: "https://web.archive.org/web/20260609171137/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1900_Galveston_hurricane"
  capturedAt: 2026-06-09
  label: Galveston Hurricane of 1900
  originalUrl: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1900_Galveston_hurricane"
