GALVESTON, Texas—You’ve likely seen Galveston Mayor Lyda Ann Thomas in one of her many Hurricane Ike-related news conferences.

She comes across as folksy and charming – like the grandmother she is.

But Thomas is in the fight of her life as she tries to rebuild the island she loves.

“Some of our neighborhoods and businesses have been destroyed to the point where people will not come back, and when we lose that, we lose tax base,” Thomas said.

Her concern led her to Washington to ask Congress for help.

Thomas also met with former presidents Clinton and Bush, who recently toured the island.

She believes it could be five years before Galveston recovers from Ike, and there is always the concern of another storm coming.

In an ironic twist, Galveston’s location is its greatest asset and its greatest threat.

“Little did I know that I would be in a position to rebuild Galveston, just as my forbearers did in 1900, but here I am,” Thomas said.

After the devastating 1900 Storm, it was Thomas’ grandfather, business tycoon I.H. Kempner, who helped put together a recovery plan for the city.

Kempner wrote a book detailing how the island got back on its feet – information that’s come in handy for Thomas.

“We based our recovery plan on this model, really,” Thomas said of the book.

Galveston’s history is part of the mayor’s family history.

Thomas grew up in the big Victorian homes along Broadway, so her ties to the island are deep.

While she seemed composed in all those post-Ike press conferences, emotionally, she was hurting.

“The hardest part for me was to see the destruction, and at the same time to be clear and precise and encouraging,” Thomas said.

Galveston will be in recovery mode long after Thomas is out of office, but she says she plans to continue her family’s legacy of helping the island heal.