Galveston Flood, Coney Island, 1902

One of the earliest disasters to be recreated at Coney in 1902 was the Galveston Flood. It had been a devastating catastrophe for the Texas resort town in September 1900. Most of the town was barely above extreme high tide when a tidal surge driven by an advancing hurricane caught its indifferent populace by surprise. Winds of 125 MPH and a 15.2 foot flood nearly leveled the entire town and killed 6000 people out of an estimated population of 37,700. Property losses were $20,000,000 and another 5000 people, living in adjacent shoreline areas perished. 

The show was housed in a large building on Surf Avenue at 17th Street. The city and harbor were recreated in miniature with model buildings. Then through a combination of real and fake water, large sheets of painted cotton fabric, intricate lighting and mechanical effects, the city was transformed into a state of utter destruction. A lecturer explained the sequence of events to the audience.