Which 2008 hurricane made landfall near Galveston, Texas? Hurricane Ike.
Hurricane Ike made landfall on the northeast end of Galveston Island early on September 13, 2008. Although Ike had reached Category 4 strength over the central Atlantic, it came ashore in Texas as a Category 2 hurricane with sustained winds around 110 mph. Its enormous size and powerful storm surge made it exceptionally destructive along the upper Texas coast.
Ike moved northward across Galveston Bay and affected the Houston area, the Bolivar Peninsula, and communities well inland. The storm surge, reported at roughly 20 feet in some locations, overwhelmed low-lying areas and caused widespread flooding. Millions of electricity customers lost power, and damage extended across coastal infrastructure, homes, ports, and energy facilities.
A common mix-up is to remember Ike only as a Category 4 hurricane. That was its peak intensity over open water, not its Texas landfall strength. Felix and Dean were 2007 hurricanes, while Gustav also struck in 2008 but made landfall in Louisiana rather than near Galveston.