Sand, sea and one big storm

Next week marks the centenary of the worst-ever natural disaster in the US.
One hundred years ago Galveston was a bustling port on the Gulf of Mexico. It
was “a city of splendid homes and broad clean streets”, according to a local
newspaper, and had a population of about 37 000. But Galveston was built on a
sandy island separated from the mainland by a narrow channel. Although it was in
the hurricane belt, it was thought the shallow sea would protect the town from
the worst effects of a storm. So when the winds began to get up on…