In 1900, Galveston was one of the busiest port cities in Texas. It sat on a long, narrow island in the Gulf of Mexico, and its highest point was less than nine feet above the sea.

The Storm of 1900

On September 8, 1900, a powerful hurricane struck the island. The wind pushed the water of the Gulf onto the land, and within hours most of the city was under water. Thousands of buildings were destroyed, and at least 6,000 people died. It is still the deadliest natural disaster in the history of the United States.

A Two-Part Plan

After the storm, many people thought Galveston should be abandoned. Instead, city leaders chose to protect it. First, they built a seawall, a tall wall of concrete along the shore that faces the Gulf. Second, they raised the city itself. Workers lifted more than 2,000 buildings with jacks and pumped sand from the bottom of the bay underneath them. Parts of the city ended up as much as 17 feet higher than before.

Timeline: 1902: Work on the seawall begins. 1904: The first three miles of the seawall are finished. 1911: Work raising the city is mostly complete. 1915: Another strong hurricane hits Galveston.

Did It Work?

When the 1915 hurricane struck, the seawall held. Water still flooded parts of the city, but far fewer people died than in 1900. Today the seawall stretches about ten miles, and people walk, bike, and fish along the top of it.