Reed has spent nearly 20 years as a storm chaser, surviving the direct strike of 17 hurricanes in the US.

In this picture: Waves explode over a seawall and into Galveston, Texas, as Hurricane Ike approaches on September 12, 2008. Less than twelve hours after this photo was taken, Hurricane Ike's ferocious storm surge destroyed many homes and businesses along the south-east Texas coastline.