The hurricane that destroyed Galveston on September 8, 1900, ranks as the nation’s deadliest natural disaster. Although its death toll will never be known precisely, the 1900 Storm claimed upwards of 8,000 lives on Galveston Island and several thousand more on the mainland. In Galveston, it destroyed 2, 636 houses and left thousands more damaged.
The city’s property losses were estimated at $28-30 million. Which has led us to today, come visit Galveston to honor our island’s resilience and 125th anniversary of The Great Storm. The city of Galveston invited 8,125 people to form a human chain along the Seawall to honor the more than 8,000 lives lost and mark the 125th anniversary of the Great Storm. Together, they stood as a living tribute to resilience, remembrance, and community pride.
The world’s longest seawall remains the Saemangeum Seawall on the southwest coast of South Korea, which measures 33.9 kilometers (21 miles). It was certified as the world’s longest man-made sea barrier by Guinness World Records in 2010.The Galveston Seawall, built in the aftermath of the 1900 Storm, has protected the island for more than a century. On Saturday, we Galvestonians set the Guiness world record, title for the longest walkway human chain right here on Galveston Island.
