iReporter Matteu took his chances in Galveston, Texas, and found Hurricane Ike to be worse than expected. Once he left the area for drier land in Dallas, he sent an iReport looking back on his experience.

"I think everybody downplayed the severity of the storm including myself," he told us when we called him. While he says he doesn't regret his decision to stay in town, he says he was thankful he had a choice to do so. Others, he said, were stuck there. The storm turned his boarded-up home into a "10-foot swimming pool" and destroyed his car on the second floor of the parking garage. Most of his personal items were unsalvageable. Amidst this chaos, he donned waders and grabbed his surfboard to help others stranded in the area.

"Some people literally hid in their attics," he said. "Right after the storm you go into these areas and they were just helpless. They were just waiting."

And then there was the smell. Think about the surprise of the patrons at a Dairy Queen along the way to Dallas when Matteu and his friends walked in: "Imagine leaving your clothes accidentally in the washer for 10 days, it's just disgusting. and I hate to say it too but over the course of time I guess you just become acclimated to it."

He doesn't have much left now except his own life, and he's taken pictures of neighborhoods so he can give friends an idea of what has happened to their homes. He says he doesn't know how to prepare someone to find out that their home is wrecked while they ride out their current state of limbo. "The only thing I've been telling people is wait to go back. There's nothing you can do right now but wait."

What do you think? Are you going back home? Share your story.

September 16, 2008 2 months ago		tjvhandy » I live in Clear Lake Shores, Tx, an island right off of Galveston Bay next to Kemah. I evacuated to South Houston about one mile east of I45. We barely survived the Hurricane, but I do not think we will survive this bureaucracy of the aftermath. We cannot get a response from FEMA to help with emergency assistance. We are told to get on line and apply for help, but how are we suppose to get on the internet without having electricity? We are told we cannot get temporary houseing or emergency funds to help without having a claim number from FEMA. This is inhuman how the average person paying for home owners insurance, flood insurance and hurricane insurance and I am still sleeping in my car with 3 small children. I cannot believe our poliitician and our government allow this to happen to the voting american citizens!
September 16, 2008 2 months ago		tjvhandy » I have had the same problems nobody will help only with water, ice and M.R.E., yea we did that, now all of my family is now sick and in the hospital. I voted for Bush and I guess that is all we get is a Big BUSHIT...........
September 16, 2008 2 months ago		familymember » Unfortunately, I know just what these people are going through. Some of them are my neighbors and family members as I am from this area of Texas and moved to Mississippi Gulf Coast in 1976. I hate to say this but " now they know how we on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi felt after Katrina, and remember CARLA!" NOONE WILL COME, THAT IS THE REASON FOR DOING IT YOURSELF. It is a capital crime and this is exactly what happened to US residents of Bay St. Louis, Waveland, Diamondhead, Pass Christian and Long Beach, Mississippi. The Nation STOPPED IN NEW ORLEANS...so at least you are getting coverage & perhaps real help will come soon!!!. I was so sickened that I could not eat meat for a year after the storm! That is bad cause, I am a Texan and we like our meat! What should you do? Build a hut shelter on the beach out of the debris, try to hold on they will come slowly. Took us 17 days to get help, it will come. God is with those that survived and you can do it! We did. I am not able to retun home to The Gulf of Mexico to this day and now reside in CA. Would not go back to The Mean Gulf of Mexico afterwards or in the future, I LOST EVERYTHING but my LIFE! Hold on you are Texans TOO & WE ARE SURVIVORS OF THE WORST LOT> Hurricanes and government ignorance.
September 17, 2008 2 months ago		Pollabear » checkout www.pollabear.org for updated information on what is going on in Southeast Texas after Hurricane Ike. POD locations, Food Stamp locations, FEMA locations etc..
October 07, 2008 1 month ago		vte4chg1 » I cannot believe that the American people would be so stupid enough to listen to pathetic McCain and how desperate he is. It's so sad. I just can't believe how he is standing there with his wife in the background lying about Obama with such hatred. I wouldn't be surprised if this man's blood pressure rises in the next couple of days. He's getting so desperate, poor guy. When will he realize that he's just losing? People want Barack!
October 08, 2008 1 month ago		blubay05 » its embarassing to watch someone running for president to refer to barack obama as "that one" so gawky and arrogant to be reaching for straws to make reference to another candidate running for president