Maggie McKenna loves the sea, and being able to swim in the gulf and walk along the seashore with her father. Her time with him is so precious, in fact, that she fiercely envies her unborn sibling, and even Felipe, the local errand boy. When her father has to take her mother to Houston to see the doctor, Maggie is left behind. But soon she is facing the battle of her life when one of the most powerful hurricanes of the century ravages Galveston, destroying homes and lives in a powerful and violent flood. Her only chance at surviving is to join forces with Felipe as they try to ride out the storm together.