Science

Storm of the Century

How a 1900 Texas hurricane became the worst natural disaster in U.S. history.

Forecasters expect mild storms from the Atlantic hurricane season that officially kicked off June 1. After monster modern storms in New York, New Jersey, Louisiana, and Texas, many have forgotten that the deadliest natural disaster in U.S. history actually came more than 100 years ago—a worst case scenario that arrived ashore Galveston, Texas, on Sept. 8, 1900.

The video above explains what went so wrong, a series of botched forecasts and preparations that helped kill between 6,000 and 12,000 people.