thriving. the largest city in all of texas, a booming population, building fortunes from galvesto galveston's busy commercial ports, shipping cotton and receiving goods from europe. >> galveston was on an incredible growth pattern. it was without a doubt, the queen city of the gulf. rightfully earned that title. >> jon: september 8th, 1900 was a day like this one. clear skies and calm seas. but the skies suddenly turned black, the weather took a terrifying turn. the good people of galveston had virtually no defense against the great storm sweeping in from the sea. a category four hurricane lashed the islands community. it carried no name as was the practice of the time. it went up to 140 miles an hour and worse, a surge of seawater over a 15 feet high over want to be on protected city, leveling