AUSTIN, Texas -- As the East Coast prepares to pick up the pieces after Hurricane Matthew, most Texans remember doing the same after another big storm - Hurricane Ike.
The hurricane slammed Texas in September 2008, causing massive damage.
Eight years later, some wonder how prepared Texas would be if another storm were to hit.
Researchers who study hurricane preparedness at Rice University in Houston say a storm like Matthew would create a big headache - especially for the state's oil and gas industry.
"The oil spill and hazardous material spill that would result from that would be among the worst that we've ever seen in the world," said Jim Blackburn, the co-director of the SSPEED Center at Rice University.
Ike cost the state upwards of $25 billion in cleanup alone.
Experts say if Texas wants to avoid that, the state would need to spend around $10 billion beefing up protection.
"We're going to have to make some hard decisions, and decide what we can build with local money and begin to do it,” Blackburn said.
According to officials at the Texas General Land Office, hard decisions are already being made.
"I believe we're very prepared,” said Brian Fisher.
Fisher, the Emergency Management Coordinator for the Land Office, says the state is in much better shape than it was and is constantly improving.
"We have drills with local industries, we have drills with the Coast Guard, and you know we just try to keep a working relationship with local communities,” Fisher said.
But as the East Coast prepares for the costly aftermath, some Texans who study storms closely can't help but hope the state takes the steps to better prepare for the next potential disaster.