"Flagship" Hotel

The Flagship Hotel is but one of the many "victims" of Hurricane Ike, which made landfall on September 1, 2008. While many if not most businesses on the island are back in operation, damage is still very evident throughout the island. This structure has very evident damage to its walls, with large chunks torn out, and many broken windows. As awful as Ike was, the 1900 hurricane that struck Galveston Island was much worse. That event was the United States' worst natural disaster in terms of lives lost. Estimates of deaths range from 6,000 to 12,000, with 8,000 being the "official" guess. The story of that hurricane is well told in author Erik Larson's excellent book "Isaac's Storm."