the entire Bolivar Peninsula suffered catastrophic damage from Hurricane Ike on the night of September 12–13, 2008. The majority of the area was damaged by a storm surge of over 20 ft, during the high tide of 4:14 a.m., adding 1.5-2.3 ft more height to the storm tide, plus higher waves on top. Most of the houses were vacation homes, and it had appeared that most of them sustained significant damage. Nearly every house south of Ridgeway was completely destroyed. Carl Griffith, an owner of an exotic game ranch and a former Jefferson County sheriff and judge, said that he saw many newly manufactured cars in the debris. Griffith believed that this indicated that many people were killed in the storm; Griffith explained that people would not likely leave newer cars alone and flee without them. For several days after the hurricane, a rumor swirled stating that a tiger roamed the streets after Ike hit, as the storm opened an exotic animal compound. Police found the tiger inside the compound. After Hurricane Ike the United States Postal Service temporarily relocated Crystal Beach post office box services to Winnie, Texas. Government and infrastructure The United States Postal Service operates the Crystal Beach Station Post Office at 2000 Texas State Highway 87. Education Crystal Beach residents are zoned to Galveston Independent School District schools. Residents attend Crenshaw Elementary and Middle School for grades Kindergarten through 8. The current Crenshaw campus opened in 2005, on land donated by a third party. The building, designed by Bay Architects, is located at Texas State Highway 87 and Helen Drive. The current Crenshaw school was built off of the ground and as a hurricane shelter. It includes a cafeteria that includes a stage and a gymnasium. Carter Thompson of the Galveston County Daily News wrote "A slight nautical theme shows up in a lobby that resembles a wheelhouse." Prior to the opening of the current campus, two separate campuses housed portions of the Crenshaw school. there are no particular attendance boundaries in GISD so parents may apply to any school they wish, but only Bolivar Peninsula residents may have school bus service to Crenshaw K-8. Residents attend Ball High School in Galveston. As it is within Galveston ISD, Crystal Beach is within the Galveston College service area. Parks and recreation The Galveston County Department of Parks and Senior Services operates the Joe Faggert Community Center at