Galveston, TX

We visited Galveston, TX, a barrier island 50 miles southeast of Houston. Galveston has an elevation just above sea level. The island is 3 miles wide at its widest point. It is bordered by the Gulf of Mexico on the east and south.

In 1900 a hurricane struck Galveston, causing the greatest natural disaster to ever strike the U.S. At least 6000 people were killed in this one storm. Beginning in 1902, Galveston built a sea wall which now extends 17 miles around the Gulf side of the island. The sea wall is 17 feet high and 16 feet thick. The sea wall is now a Gulf-side street called Seawall Boulevard. The elevation on the eastern side of the island has been raised by pumping sand from the mouth of the Houston shipping channel.

Islanders refer to themselves as BOI (born on island) and IBC (islander by choice).

In 2008 Galveston was hit by Hurricane Ike at 2:20 a.m. Although the city had ordered evacuation, an estimated 40 percent of the 57,000 residents chose to stay. At one time before the storm hit Texas, Ike had been rated as a Category 4 (145 mph) hurricane. When it hit Texas, it had downgraded to a Cat 2 (110 mph). Storm total rainfalls from Ike were as much as 19 inches in southeast Texas.

Judging from the mansions along Broadway, Galveston was once the home of some very well-to-do Texans. Today some of the mansions have been beautifully restored, others are waiting their turn. Hurricane damage is still visible in the residential areas of the island.

Galveston/Houston is obviously a busy seaport judging from the dozens of ships lined up in the Gulf waiting to dock.