Last summer, the Clarks - Lance, Cheryl, and 2-year-old son, Logan - migrated in a U-Haul from Anchorage to Galveston. Lance had landed a pathologist job at the University of Texas Medical Branch. They found a home on the island, and were still unpacking when …

“Hurricane Ike. The tidal surge came up and flooded our house,” Lance said. “Most of our stuff was still in boxes.”

The Clarks had bought flood insurance, but they say it was money wasted. After writing the check and signing the contract, a 30-day holding period took effect.

Ike didn’t wait, hitting Galveston Island on Sept. 12 with 110 mph winds. The Clarks evacuated to Tyler, in Northeast Texas.

The hospital took a hit too.

The reported Ike inflicted $710 million in damage to the UTMB facility. The medical school and the hospital closed.

“Almost the whole hospital was on administrative leave because the hospital wasn’t functional. All the bottom floors were damaged,” Lance said.

UTMB put Lance on two months paid leave. After that, he was on his own.

“Got the letter in the mail, your job’s been terminated,” he said. “I called my supervisor and asked did you know about this. She said no, we didn’t, but we all got terminated too.”

After some family hand wringing, Cheryl, Lance and Logan, moved into the empty farmhouse just down the gravel road from Lance’s parents, Kay and Jim Richardson, on the 200-acre farm.

Although both Lance and Cheryl earned master’s degrees, they say this is a good place to raise a family. As for the strange turn of events that led to natural, sustainable farming, the Clarks take it in stride.

“I’ve gotten over it. We moved on,” Lance said. “Luckily they had this little farmhouse here.”