These are the deadliest hurricanes in American history

The greatest natural disaster in our country's history is the Great Galveston Storm of 1900, a Category 4 hurricane that made landfall on Galveston Island 117 years ago.

The city of Galveston was completely destroyed and covered by an 8- to 16-foot storm surge. It is estimated between 8,000 and 12,000 people lost their lives.

After the storm, Galveston rebuilt and constructed a seawall to try to prevent storm damage in the future.