Recorded Deaths

Galveston School Building Repair Fund Records, MS24-0147. Rosenberg Library, Galveston, Texas.

Over 8,000 people in Galveston city and county lost their lives in the 1900 Storm. At the time of the Storm identification of every victim proved impossible.

Various sources printed long lists of the dead. These lists have been combined and checked against the 1899-1900 Galveston city directory for accuracy in name spelling. Please note that where a name could not be verified, it could be misspelled. There may be duplicates which also could not be verified.

African-American citizens were marked with a (c) on the original lists. This (c) is used on our page also.

Names that have ages next to them were taken from the original mortuary record kept by the city of Galveston, 1900-1904. The mortuary records listed some 215 names. Names were recorded as early as September 9, 1900. The last group of unknown victims was recorded as late as August 13, 1901. Beginning in January 1902, the mortuary book began recording some victims as "reinterred" to Lakeview Cemetery.

Our list contains only those listed with the cause of death given as "Drowned in storm, Sept. 8" or "Effects of injuries in Storm." This list does not include victims who died of illness apparently received as a direct result of the 1900 Storm, such as insanity, exposure, skull fracture, tetanus, trauma, and suicide. Many deaths through the months after the 1900 Storm were a result of malarial fever, dysentery, pneumonia and tuberculosis.

This list currently includes 5,132 people. We took these names from these sources. If you find omissions or individuals listed who can be verified to have survived the storm, please send us an email including the name of the individual, how he or she is listed in this index, and with copies of any documentation you have demonstrating your position to gthc@rosenberg-library.org.