Galveston County residents went to bed Sept. 10, 2008, thinking Hurricane Ike would come ashore well to the south. People awoke Thursday, Sept. 11, 2008, to the bad news that Galveston was in the huge storm's path. While Category 2 Ike didn't pack devastating winds, it churned up a storm surge equal to that of a Category 4 hurricane. Galveston Island, Bolivar Peninsula and low-lying mainland communities along the bay began flooding long before the wind and rain came. More than a month after Ike struck on Sept. 13, 2008, there still was much cleanup ahead. Folks were anxious to begin rebuilding their homes and getting their lives back together. People still were living in tents, and businesses remained shuttered. And it was unclear whether the county could put this storm behind and move on before another hurricane season loomed.