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U.S. Census Bureau Daily Feature for Sept. 8: Worst U.S. Hurricane


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WASHINGTON, Sept. 7 -- Following is the daily “Profile America” feature for Sept. 8 from the U.S. Census Bureau:

THURSDAY, SEPT. 8: WORST U.S. HURRICANE

Profile America for Thursday, Sept. 8. The nation’s most deadly natural disaster occurred on this day in 1900 as a hurricane with 130-mile-an-hour winds ravaged the island city of Galveston, Texas. The winds combined with a tidal surge to swamp the city, which had a high point only nine feet above sea level. When the storm subsided, more than 6,000 men, women, and children were dead --about one-of-every-six residents. In addition, a third of the city’s buildings were destroyed. In its aftermath, a miles-long seawall was built and the entire town was raised by pumping in sand from the Gulf of Mexico. Now, Galveston has a population of more than 57,000 and people come from all over the country to visit its antique stores, historic landmarks, and art galleries. Find these and more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau on the Web at http://www.census.gov.

Sources: Chase’s Calendar of Events 2005, p. 465; Annual Population Estimates 2004, http://www.census.gov/popest/cities/SUB-EST2004-4.html

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Profile America is produced by the Public Information Office of the U.S. Census Bureau. These daily features are available as produced segments ready to air on a monthly CD or on Internet at http://www.census.gov (look under the “Newsroom” button). For further information, contact Rick Reed at 301-763-2812, fax at 301-457-3670, or e-mail at rreed@census.gov.



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