New novel looks back at Great Galveston Hurricane of 1900

GALVESTON - Southeast Texas author Anna Walner has such a lifelong fascination with Galveston's Great Storm of 1900 that she chose it as the setting for her next novel, Saltwater and Driftwood.

The hurricane that destroyed Galveston on September 8, 1900, is the nation's deadliest natural disaster.

The death toll is believed to be between 6,000 and 8,000 lives on Galveston Island and thousands more on the mainland.

In Galveston, it destroyed 2,636 houses and left thousands more damaged. The city's property losses were estimated at $28-30 million.

Walner's story follows the struggles of Galvestonians during and after the hurricane through the eyes of a young woman and her family.

The historical novel will be available on August 30, and is already an Amazon bestseller in preorder.

You can find out more about the Great Storm of 1900 at Galveston’s Rosenberg Library by clicking here.