Galveston, Texas, sat barely above sea level with no seawall. A category 4 hurricane drove a surge of around 4.5 metres across the entire island, destroying more than 3,600 buildings and killing an estimated 8,000 to 12,000 people.
The city's response was extraordinary: survivors built a 5-metre seawall and physically raised the elevation of the remaining city by pumping in dredged sand beneath jacked-up buildings — one of the earliest large-scale climate adaptation projects anywhere.
Why this event still matters
Historical incidents shape the rules that protect people today — building codes, evacuation policy, warning systems and inspection regimes almost always trace back to a specific disaster. Studying Galveston Hurricane alongside current events is how preparedness improves.
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