The 1900 Galveston Hurricane | After the Storm | 4
American History Tellers
Audible
4.6 • 19K Ratings
🗓️ 29 April 2026
⏱️ 42 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
The devastation of the 1900 Galveston hurricane left thousands dead and a city in ruins — but it also set in motion a remarkable story of recovery and reinvention. As survivors buried their dead and relief poured in, city leaders adopted an entirely new form of government to steer the rebuilding effort.
In this episode, Lindsay is joined by historian Dr. Patricia Bixel, who shares how Galveston rose from the wreckage — constructing a massive seawall and raising the city's own grade to face whatever the Gulf might bring next. Bixel is the co-author, with Elizabeth Hayes Turner, of Galveston and the 1900 Storm: Catastrophe and Catalyst.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hello, American history teller listeners. I have an exciting announcement. I'm going on tour and coming to a theater near you. |
| 0:06.8 | This live show is a thrilling evening of history, storytelling, and music with a full band accompanying me as we look back to explore the days that made America. |
| 0:15.4 | And they aren't the days that you might think. Sure, everyone knows July 4th, 1776. We'll be hearing a lot about that date this year, |
| 0:22.4 | but there are many other days that are maybe even more influential. So come out to see me |
| 0:26.9 | live. More shows to be announced soon. So for information on tickets and upcoming dates, |
| 0:31.8 | go to American History Live.com. That's American History Live.com. Come see my Days That Made America tour, live on stage. Go to |
| 0:40.5 | American History Live.com. |
| 0:46.3 | From audible originals, I'm Lindsay Graham, and this is American History Tellers, our history, |
| 0:51.8 | your story. |
| 1:07.6 | Thank you. American history tellers. Our history, your story. On September 8, 1900, a ferocious hurricane leveled the island city of Galveston. |
| 1:13.7 | In the aftermath, what had been the primary port in the western Gulf of Mexico looked like a war zone. |
| 1:19.6 | Railroad and streetcar tracks destroyed, churches demolished. |
| 1:23.3 | There were miles of wreckage, and the remains of human and animal corpses lay strewn all across |
| 1:28.6 | the island. Between 6 to 8,000 people died in total. Nearly two-thirds of the city's properties |
| 1:35.2 | were destroyed, telegraphed, power, and electrical lines were down, and the bridges were gone. |
| 1:41.0 | This hurricane remains one of the worst natural disasters in American history, an absolute |
| 1:46.1 | catastrophe, but also a catalyst for resurrection and reform, according to today's guest, Dr. Patricia |
| 1:52.4 | Bixel. She's a retired history professor from the Maine Maritime Academy. Bixel co-authored Galveston |
| 1:58.6 | and the 1900 Storm Catastrophe and Catalyst with Elizabeth Hayes Turner. |
| 2:03.5 | Our conversation is next. |
| 2:14.0 | Dr. Patricia Bixel, thanks so much for joining us on American history tellers. |
| 2:17.9 | Thanks for having me. |
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