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Wetland Removal Process
Over 50 percent of the Gulf of Mexico's wetlands have been lost since 1790. The wetlands of this gulf were in perfect condition until we decide to come along and start the destruction. This wetland provides the habitat of countless birds, fish, and plants. Today, only a small portion of the wetlands that were previously in the Gulf of Mexico remain unharmed, but that won't last much longer. This gulf produces much of Texas's seafood, and it will not be too long before the area will be eliminated -
The Galveston Hurricane
Being the deadliest hurricane disaster in US history until that date, it caused the deaths of more than 6,000 people, and destroying over half of the buildings in Galveston. An estimated 700 million was the property damage. -
The September Storm of 1906
Destructive and voilent. This storm caused Florida's tide to be 10 feet above normal. It killed 134 people. -
Hurricane in Velasco, Texas
On July 20, 1909, there was a hurricane that passed directly over Velasco, Texas. The center was very calm for about 45 minutes, then the storms began again. -
Hurricane in Galveston, Texas
After the first hurricane that hit this site, the people of Galveston built a 10 foot flood wall hoping to stop the water from coming into the city. Despite their efforts, a 12 foot wave got through and flooded the business district in six feet of water. 275 people died because of the flood and the voilent winds. -
Burrwood, Louisana
Shortly after the last hurricane, another one struck Burrwood, LA, destroying 90 percent of the buildings and taking 275 lives, even after the storm warning. Winds were clocked at 140 miles per hour. -
Key West, Florida
This hurricane was the fourth-most deadly hurricane to flood the Gulf Coast in the 20th century, claiming 10 vessels resulting in the death of 500 out of the 900 deaths. Then the storm moved south of Corpus Christi, TX, where tides rose 16 feet above normal and another 287 lives were lost. -
Hurricane Audrey
At this point, there were so many hurricanes hitting the Gulf of Mexico, they started to name them. This is Hurricane Audrey, the first named hurricane. It caused the deaths of 390 people, and it took an estimated amount of $700 million dollars to pay for the property damage. The storm hit land around the Texas-Louisana Border. -
Hurricane Carla
Carla was the most devastating hurricane to hit Texas in years. Until that date, the largest evacuation occured, as more than half a million residents were moved to higher ground. This time, due to technology advancements, only 46 lives were lost. Damage was worth about $2 billion. -
Hurricane Betsy
This hurricane was formed due to a tropical depression east of the windward islands. Betsy turned to the northwest upon entering the Gulf of Mexico and its forward speed increased to 22 mph. The eye arrived at Grand Isle, LA, the evening of September 9th. The eye was 40 miles in diameter on the Louisiana coast -
Hurricane Camille
Camille formed off the African coast on August 5th but it didn't actually become a hurricane until August 15. Once it entered the Gulf of Mexico, the small, powerful hurricane intensified rapidly. An Air Force reconnaissance plane measured a 905 mb pressure and winds blowing at 160 mph, making it a Category 5 hurricane, the most powerful on the Saffir/Simpson Scale. -
Hurricane Celia
Celia became a hurricane on August 1 in the Gulf of Mexlco and grew quickly in 15 hours before it crossed the coast north of Corpus Christi, TX. Winds reached as high as 160 mph for a few seconds, but during that time, intense damage occurred at the airport and an neighboring mobile home park, completely destroying that area. -
Ixtoc 1 (Oil Spill)
Ixtoc 1 was an oil well drilled by semi-submersible drilling rig in the Bay of Campeche in the Gulf of Mexico. It was about 100 km northwest of Campeche in waters 50 meters deep. On June 3, this oil well suffered a blowout resulting in one of the most major oil spills in the world. In the end, a total of 17.5 thousand barrels of oil was released and it impacted about 162 miles of US beaches. -
Hurricane Frederic
Forming on the African coast on August 27, this hurricane lost speed, making it a tropical depression, but as it entered the gulf, it rapidly gained speed making it a hurricane again. It struck Dauphin Island, Alabama, with winds of 120 mph, sometimes going over 145 mph. A total of 350,000 people were evacuated, but nobody was killed. -
Hurricane Allen
When it was near the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico, Hurricane Allen was one of the most intense hurricanes ever. It reached Category 5 three times. It hit Brownsville, Texas, at wind speeds of 129 miles per hour, and only caused three deaths. -
Hurricane Alicia
Alicia was a small to medium size hurricane. It reached Category 3 when it hit land. The center of Alicia moved over the Texas coast about 25 miles southwest of Galveston. However, despite its small size, Alicia caused over $2.4 billion of damage. -
Hurricane Elena
Elena hit near Biloxi, Mississippi, causing the largest evacuation till that date. Only four deaths occured, because of the effects of Elena. The four deaths were caused by a falling tree, automobile accident and heart attack. The total loss from Elena are near $1.4 billion. -
Hurricane Andrew
Andrew cut its own path through southern Florida, and it exited the southwestern part of the state as a Category 3 hurricane on the Saffir/Simpson Scale. Once into the Gulf of Mexico, Andrew again became a Category 4 hurricane and headed northwest toward Louisiana. About 1,250,000 people evacuated from Louisiana, and about 250,000 evacuated from Orange and Jefferson counties in Texas. This is a very infamous hurricane in US storm history. -
Taylor Energy Wells (Oil Spill)
This secret oil spill has been poisoning the waters of the Gulf of Mexico since 2004, and it is still ongoing. Recent investigations say that Taylor Energy has been leaking this oil into the Gulf of Mexico for 7.5 years, and they haven't stopped it. This spill was caused by Hurricane Ivan, and it was not the only oil spill that it caused. Waterkeeper Alliance has filed suit against Taylor Energy, seeking to put an end to the spill. -
Hurricane Katrina
A category 5 hurricane which formed over the Bahamas, and struck New Orleans, Louisana, causing an estimated total of $81 billion of property damage. This hurricane caused more than 150 oil-related accidents around the Gulf of Mexico. Mainly because of its storm surge, Katrina caused damage from Florida to Texas, and 80 percent of New Orleans was flooded. -
Deepwater Horizon (Oil Spill)
Being the largest accidental marine oil spill in history, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill ran unabated for three months. It was caused by an explosion killing 11 men and injuring 17 others. The spill was an effect of a sea-floor oil gusher which was caused by a major explosion called the Deepwater Horizon Explosion. This explosion killed 11 men and injured 17 more. The leak was stopped by capping the wellhead, but it was after the leak had released 4.9 million barrels of crude oil into the gulf.