Blowback 1900 style

This weekend the history channel had a fascinating documentary on the hurricane that devastated 1900 Galveston, TX called Isaac’s Storm. According to the documentary based on a book by historian Eric Larson, it turns out the destructive effectiveness of the deadliest hurricane in American history was improved by none other than the US government weather office.

When the hurricane was in a tropical storm phase passing the Island of Cuba, Cuban meteorologists correctly predicted that the storm would pass westbound toward the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Of course, since the Spanish American War, Cuba was occupied American territory. Therefore the US weather office in Galveston, Texas was not allowed to receive telegraphs from native Cubans. The head of the US weather office took away capability for Cuban meteorologists to telegraph weather reports to offices in the US. These wiley Cuban natives were considered unfit for the science of meteorology and Washington appointed meteorologists were only allowed to give weather reports from Cuba. American meteorological understanding was considered far advanced to the unscientific native Cuban meteorologists, despite their world reputation as experts in hurricane activity.
The far more “intelligent” US meteorologists predicted that the storm would head north to Florida and onto the northeastern US. Of course that didn’t happen and without a warning the island of Galveston was left without the ability to evacuate from the devastation.

So on September 8th the deadliest hurricane in US history killed more than 6,000 people in Galveston, TX while laying waste to the most promising metropolis in Texas at the time. The documentary also shows how US Weather official Isaac Cline promoted the build up and expansion of Galveston island because he believed that it was impossible for a hurricane to devastate the island. Despite telltale signs a couple of days before the hurricane arrived, out of arrogance, he refused to believe it was anything other than a small storm coming.

Even though he lost his wife and Isaac’s recommendations led to absolute disaster; like all government bureaucrats he later did not fault himself or the weather service for making the disaster far worse than it could have been. Isaac even claimed he tried in vain to warn everyone well before the hurricane came, to leave town, when in actuality he didn’t raise the hurricane flag until the hurricane had already arrived.

With the state it is important to know that little has changed. Whether it is 911 or Galveston 1900, bureaucratic officials only look out for themselves pushing the masses toward disaster with their hubris and blaming some unforeseen occurrence when it comes.

Share

12:24 pm on August 9, 2004