• It was September 13th, 2008. It was around 9:00 pm. There was lightning flashing from every direction, so I went to the backyard of my aunt's house. I looked at the left, there was a transformer blown out and it created a blue lightning flash. I looked at the right, more transformers were blown out and it made a rainbow. I went to the front of the house and walked around in the cul-de-sac. I stopped underneath a tree branch because someone called my name. A big flash of lightning struck the branch, and the branch landed right in front of me. We put on the radio and heard an emergency evacuation drill. Then, the real thing. We went inside and talked for a while in the living room, listening to a shower radio. They were talking about everything happening in Galveston--a beach. There were waves rising above the 25 ft. sea wall, knocking down the historical landmark. We watched the news for live footage, and in the background a house caught on fire. The lights went out, and the light was now lighted only by my flashlight. My cousins went upstairs to their bed for "bedtime." My grandma was there, sleeping with my mom, brother, sister, aunt, and I. My uncle and dad had to stay at work. They worked two hours away which worried my aunt and mom. It was now 2:00 am, September 14th, 2008. My mom and I went into the other living room which my sister was sleeping in and laid down. My sister then went upstairs into the guest room/computer room. My mom moved to the couch, I was on the floor. No more than two minutes passed---BOOM! A 15 ft. tree crash-landed into the window falling right on top of me. I opened my eyes, staring at the tree. My mom freaked out and told everyone to wake up. She gathered my aunt and brother into the two ft. hallway, leading to the bathroom. I went upstairs and got my grandma, sister, and cousins and we all slept in the hallway. My cat went to bed in the laundry room. We had to sleep with our heads leaning against one side of the wall and our legs leaning against the other. It was very uncomfortable. I didn't fall asleep until 6:00 am with the storm still going strong. It was now about 9:00 am, September 14th, 2008. We went outside to look at our local damage. A tree had fallen on a person's house across the street. We went to the backyard and found three ft. of water piled on the cold grass. Trees were scattered, chairs were tattered. Nothing had been in the same place as the night before. We then got in the car and drove around. Someone had just bought a new car--now crushed by a tree. One street, every single house torn down--except one. It was in perfect condition--no trees, no branches, not one single leaf on the driveway. It even had light from a cloud shining upon it. We then went to my house, many telephone lines were down. Nothing major. Then, I started getting sick. So, we had to go back home. Every house in Galveston, gone, beaten, on fire, not existing. It was like a big tornado hit. I don't think anyone in town will forget the day Hurricane Ike paid us a visit.