The history of the City of Galveston is intimately linked to its relationship to Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. Galveston is defined by its legacy as an important economic center with bay-side wharves that established the city as a trading powerhouse. Galveston’s surrounding maritime environment delivered the goods and people that built Texas and a large part of 19th Century America. But that surrounding environment also delivered the challenges that have been important in defining the resiliency of this strong community.
The tragic 1900 hurricane that devastated Galveston was a defining moment for the city. Galveston rose, both physically and socially, from the wreckage and massive loss of life that storm caused.
Storm surge flooding caused by tropical storms in the Gulf of Mexico is a challenge for more places than Galveston, but Galveston’s past and present response to that threat is unique, and is fundamental to its history and to its future.
Responding to the Threat
In the years following the 1900 Storm, the city’s ground level was raised and its iconic seawall was built to protect the city from the attack by waves during tropical storms like these that occurred during Hurricane Ike in 2008. But while the seawall, and raising the grade of the island behind, has successfully protected the city from storm-surge coming from the Gulf of Mexico, it hasn’t stopped flooding coming from Galveston Bay.
Several storms since 1900 have caused the city to be flooded by water pushed by storm winds into the city from the bay.
Since Hurricane Ike, much attention has been given to constructing a massive barrier along the coast to stop storm-surge from entering the bay from the Gulf of Mexico. However, this plan fails to consider that Galveston Bay generates surge during a storm that can flood the communities that surround the bay. Building a coastal barrier still leaves Galveston vulnerable to flooding by surge coming from the bay.
Without additional flood protection on the city’s bay side, Galveston will continue to be vulnerable to storm surge flooding in the future. This is because the city has its back exposed to surge that can be generated on the large body of water in Galveston Bay.
Why Galveston is Vulnerable to Storm-Surge Flooding Even if the Coastal Barrier is Built
This diagram shows how counterclockwise winds associated with a hurricane passing across Galveston Bay can push water from the bay into the unprotected bay side of the city. The surge is generated in the bay even if the large coastal barrier system is built along the coast. The coastal barrier may stop surge coming from the Gulf of Mexico, but does not stop storm-surge coming from the bay. A large area and volume of water remains exposed to hurricane-force winds that can drive water out of the bay into the city.
Depending on the trajectory of a storm moving across the bay, other areas, such as the Houston Ship Channel and its industries, are vulnerable to flooding even if the coastal barrier system is built. Additional protections around the perimeter of the bay will be needed to stop in-bay generated surge. As a result, it is questioned whether the coastal barrier will be worth the investment if the bay side of Galveston and other areas around Galveston Bay will still flood.
The Houston-Galveston region isn’t the only coastal area that is threatened by storm surge, but Galveston is one of the most vulnerable of American cities because of the heightened flood risk created by storm surge in Galveston Bay.
Look What Happened at Lake Okeechobee in Florida in 1928
To emphasize how vulnerable Galveston is to flooding from Galveston Bay during a hurricane, the 1928 hurricane that struck Florida is important to consider. The 1928 hurricane passed over Florida’s Lake Okeechobee, which is the same size and holds about the same amount of water as Galveston Bay. Hurricane-force winds blew water from the lake (shown in blue) to destroy towns on its north and south. This catastrophe was the second greatest loss of life (estimated at 2000) from a natural disaster in the US after Galveston’s 1900 storm, which is estimated to have killed 6000 to 8000 people.
In response, to the 1928 Florida storm, a levee (the Hoover D**e) was built around Lake Okeechobee to protect the communities that surround the lake from flooding during storms. This aerial photo of the levee shows how it protects the town of Pahokee. Similarly, some form of barrier system is needed on the bay side of Galveston to protect the city from storm surge flooding. It doesn’t have to look like this levee, but it needs to work.
What Would Bay-Side Flood Protection of Galveston Look Like?
What the configuration and alignment of bay-side protection for Galveston will look like has yet to be determined. This diagram shows some options that could be considered. It may be composed of a series of levees, floodwalls and gates. One option that takes the barrier system around Pelican Island rather than along Harborside Drive would incorporate much of the city’s port infrastructure into the protection. Opposition to a “ring barrier” of the city has been fierce by a few, but that opposition stems from a misunderstanding of the threat and a lack of vision of how to make this essential flood protection system enhance the economy and character of Galveston.
Enhancing Galveston’s Relationship to Galveston Bay
The flood barrier system does not have to be built within the city. An alternative could be a levee system that is in the bay instead of on land and would also utilize existing levees on Pelican Island and the city’sEast End. This concept would require a number of gates that would normally be open for maritime navigation and water circulation. It also has the advantage of creating new recreation areas and wetland habitat on the bay side of the barrier as shown.
This view of the New Orleans flood levee shows how a historic city core (to the left) utilizes its flood protection from the Mississippi River (to the right) as an esthetic component of its tourist, transport and business infrastructure.
It is important to note that Galveston is not New Orleans. Much of New Orleans is below sea level and its levee system needs to protect it from flooding even if a storm does not occur. If its system fails and water breaches its defenses (as happened during Hurricane Katrina), the city will remain flooded until pumping systems can remove the water.
Galveston is entirely above sea level, at least for now. Constructing a ring barrier to encircle Galveston will also require pumps to remove rainwater during a storm, but the system can be constructed to otherwise be “open” when a storm is not a threat.
Galveston Must Make a Critical Decision About its Future
There are strong efforts to stop any development of flood protection for Galveston. These may stem from a perception that bay-side protection of Galveston will reduce the need for a larger regional coastal flood barrier that others want. Some may just not want change. Without action though, Galveston’s future will be very different than today. It is critical that the neighborhoods and people work with the US Army Corps of Engineers to have input into what form of flood protection the city needs and will accept.
Without planning its future to include flood defense, Galveston will face continued and likely worse flooding during storm events. Even if the coastal barrier system is built, Galveston will need bay-side protection from flooding. There is more than one option for its design and alignment. With innovation and vision, bay-side flood protection can be an asset for Galveston’s economy and character.
Join us in making a flood-free future for Galveston.
The Galveston Flood Defense Coalition is a group of Galveston citizens that want to work with anyone with a stake in Galveston’s future to find a workable solution to the city’s vulnerability to flooding.
