Galveston Weather Report

[Skeezix]

Neighborhoods that are affected by the storm surge…and possibly entire coastal communities…will be inundated during the period of peak storm tide. Persons not heeding evacuation orders in single family one or two story homes face the possibility of death. Many residences of average construction directly on the coast will be destroyed. Widespread and devastating personal property damage is likely elsewhere. Vehicles left behind will likely be swept away. Numerous roads will be swamped…some may be washed away by the water. Entire flood prone coastal communities will be cutoff. Water levels may exceed 9 feet for more than a mile inland. Coastal residents in multi-story faciliities risk being cutoff. Conditions will be worsened by battering waves closer to the coast. Such waves will exacerbate property damage…with massive destruction of homes…including those of block construction. Damage from beach erosion could take years to repair.

 

Persons who have not evacuated should plan to shelter in place in a well built structure during the period of tropical storm force winds. It is imperative that persons who live in mobile homes or poorly-built structures should evacuate to a safer location such as a well-built home. Persons who live in high rises should consider evacuating as winds can be as much as 20 to 30 mph stronger at the top of a high rise than at ground level.

 

Structural damage will include the majority of mobile homes being severely damaged. Those that survive will be uninhabitable until repaired. Houses of poor to average construction will have major damage…including partial wall collapse and roofs being lifted off. Many will be uninhabitable. Well constructed houses will incur minor damage to shingles…siding…gutters…as well as blown out windows. up to one quarter of gabled roofs will fail.

 

Partial roof failure is expected at industial parks…especially to those buildings with light weight steel and aluminum coverings. Older low rising apartment roofs may also be torn off…as well as receiving siding and shingle damage. Up to one quarter of all glass in high rise office buildings will be blown out. Airborne debris will cause damage…injury…and possible fatalities.

 

Natural damage will include nearly all trees with rotting bases becoming uprooted or snapped, Nearly all large branches will snap. Between one quarter and one half of healthy small to medium sized trees will be snapped or uprooted…most common where the ground is saturated. Up to three quarters of newly planted ground crops will be damaged.

 

[underworld]

i've got a bunch of family that has gone inland cuz of this. sux, but it is all part of living there. usually, you get back and everything is just fine. some aren't that lucky and come back to nothing.

 

good luck to all those affected!

 

[tvashtarkatena]

Galveston, oh Galveston, I still hear your sea winds blowin'

I still see her dark eyes glowin'

She was 21 when I left Galveston

 

Galveston, oh Galveston, I still hear your sea waves crashing

While I watch the cannons flashing

I clean my gun and dream of Galveston

 

I still see her standing by the water

Standing there lookin' out to sea

And is she waiting there for me?

On the beach where we used to run

 

Galveston, oh Galveston, I am so afraid of dying

Before I dry the tears she's crying

Before I watch your sea birds flying in the sun

At Galveston, at Galveston

 

[tvashtarkatena]

Never knew it was a war song.

[ivan]

The story of Galveston's tragedy can never be written as it is. Since the cataclysm of Saturday night a force of faithful men have been struggling to convey to humanity from time to time some of the particulars of the tragedy.

 

They have told much, but it was impossible for them to tell all, and the world, at best, can never know all, for the thousands of tragedies written by the storm must forever remain mysteries until eternity shall reveal all.

 

Perhaps it were best that it should be so, for the horror and anguish of those fatal and fateful hours were mercifully lost in the screaming tempest and buried forever beneath the raging billows.

 

Only God knows, and for the rest let it remain forever in the boundlessness of His omniscience.

 

But in the realm of finity, the weak and staggered senses of mankind may gather fragments of the disaster, and may strive with inevitable incompleteness to convey the merest impression of the saddest story which ever engaged the efforts of a reporter.

 

- As published Sept. 13, 1900, in The Galveston Daily News

[JoshK]

At least this time it won't be a historic, culture rich city being destroyed. (New Orleans) Houston is no great loss...