A look back at Hurricane Ike

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- It was Sept. 13, 2008, when Hurricane Ike ripped through the Houston area, claiming the lives of dozens in Texas.

The powerful category 2 storm ravaged the Gulf Coast after making landfall that day around 2 a.m., flattening homes and obliterating entire towns and creating a huge storm surge that destroyed buildings and businesses along Galveston's Seawall.

It's one of the deadliest and most expensive storms, costing an estimated $34.8 billion.

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From Hurricane Katrina to Hurricane Andrew to Hurricane Harvey, these storms will go down in history.

Due to the massive damage and number of deaths, the World Meteorological Organization retired the name Ike in April of 2009.

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Waves crash behind a statue commemorating the devastating storm of 1900 as Hurricane Ike approaches, Friday, Sept. 12, 2008, in Galveston, Texas.

AP Photo/ Matt Slocum

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