Cougar news staff
The Texas coast has been the target of several deadly hurricanes over the years. In the 1800s, before the advent of modern meteorology, several hurricanes hit Houston, with two particularly intense ones in 1875 and 1886.
The following is a summary of the most intense storms to affect the Houston area in this century.
"Great Storm" of 1900: The worst natural disaster in American history was a storm with winds exceeding 100 mph that hit Galveston in September 1900, destroying most of the city and killing an estimated 6,000 to 8,000 people.
Most of the island was under water after the 15-foot storm surge, which prompted the city to construct the seawall and raise the ground level several feet to protect against future flooding. The storm also passed through Houston, where several downtown buildings were damaged.
Hurricane of 1915: The hurricane that hit Galveston in 1915 was even more intense than the storm in 1900, but because part of the seawall had been built by that time, loss of life and property was not so great as it had been 15 years earlier. However, 275 people died in the storm that produced 120 mph winds on the coast and winds of about 60 mph as far inland as San Antonio.
In coastal areas, the winds were reportedly strong enough to tear up railroad tracks and wrap them around buildings, while inland much of the cotton crop was destroyed by heavy rain.
Locals remembered this storm as being worse than that of 1900.
"Surprise Hurricane," 1943: This storm received its name because area residents received little warning it was headed their way. Due to German U-boat activity expected in the Gulf of Mexico, all radio broadcasts were stopped - including weather reports, which were transmitted nearly exclusively via radio in the days before satellite and radar.
In fact, reports that the Houston-bound storm was a potentially dangerous hurricane were not released until the afternoon of July 27, just after it struck unprepared Galveston Island.
The storm moved up the coast through Texas City and Baytown before turning west and passing over downtown Houston near midnight.
Wind gusts of 132 mph were recorded at Baytown and the Houston Metropolitan Airport; the storm killed 19 people and caused about $17 million in reported damage across the area (the actual figure which was probably higher, since many families were not insured).
Carla, 1961: Carla had the most severe storm rating - category 5 - of any storm to hit Houston since the measurement system was developed. It was one of the most destructive storms on record, with maximum sustained winds near 175 mph.
The hurricane killed 46 people, reportedly caused about 20 tornadoes and caused $400 million in damage (in 1961 dollars). About 250,000 people were evacuated from coastal areas, which were particularly devastated by the storm.
Alicia, 1983: The most powerful hurricane in recent memory came ashore between Freeport and Galveston Aug. 18, 1983, marking the first time in 40 years the eye of a hurricane had passed directly over Houston.
By the time the storm had moved across the area, 27 people were dead, 40,000 were in shelters and 800,000 homes were without power.
Damage estimates neared $2 billion, with the downtown area being particularly hard-hit.
Chantal and Jerry, 1989: Neither of these storms was particularly intense, but the fact that they hit in the same season was unusual.
Chantal, which struck High Island east of Houston Aug. 1, was the first hurricane of the season and reportedly caused 13 deaths and $100 million in damage.
Jerry came ashore Oct. 15 on Galveston Island, then turned northeast and moved through East Texas, losing strength as it went. Three people died and damage was estimated at $70 million.