March 22 – May 31, 2019
Oh my! Not prepared
for all the storm stories we have heard while here! For those not familiar with this area,
Hurricane Harvey came ashore here in August 2017 as a Category 4 storm. The eye passed slightly east of Port Aransas,
making a direct hit on nearby Rockport.
Winds from the northwest (off Corpus Christi Bay) were clocked at 130
MPH; storm surge was 6 feet or more.
Port Aransas lies at the north end of Mustang Island, a
barrier island across the bay from Corpus Christi. Typical elevations are less than 10 feet
above sea level. According to the local press, 100 percent of
businesses were damaged as were 85 percent of homes, with damage ranging from minor
flooding, roofs needing replacement to entire buildings condemned and torn
down. Most structures were flooded by the
storm surge.
So now, almost 2 years later, town is still recovering. At first glance, most of the businesses are
open and lots of new construction is evident on the main highway through
town. Once off the main drag,
neighborhoods are in various stages of recovery. Lots of construction projects are
ongoing. ALL high rise condos, fronting
on the ship channel and the beach, are still unoccupied with repair completion
estimated at another 1 – 1 ½ years. As a
result, tourism is down with fewer places available for overnight stays;
businesses are still struggling as the main industry, tourism, slowly gets back
to previous levels. To add insult to
injury, a desalination plant and an LNG terminal are to be built on Harbor
Island, just across the ship channel, near the ferry landing. Area residents have not been successful in stopping
these projects, which could have a negative impact on tourism and the
pristine quality of area waters.
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| Port Aransas Municipal Harbor |
We lived in Port Aransas for 21 years. Returning for the first time since moving
away 5 years ago, we are so very thankful we were not here to experience Harvey
first hand. We learn that many friends
and acquaintances have moved away. Those
remaining have a bond of shared experience that is hard to articulate. Everyone has a story – some, thankful for
minimal damage to personal property, others not so fortunate. Quotes from various sources: “lost everything I owned”, “lost home and job”,
“blocked out all memories of pre-Harvey – now who are you exactly?”, “wave of
sewage from nearby treatment plant washed into our home”, “massive piles of
dead and rotting seagrass filled our yard and pool”, “I now have a FEMA refugee
number”, “unbelievable kindness of strangers who took charge and helped remove
debris so our home was livable”, “volunteers who provided meals and drinking
water to everyone”. We are slowly
reconnecting with friends and adjusting to the “new” Port Aransas – forever changed!
On a brighter note, Robert reports the fishing has been
spectacular, even better than when we first moved here. We attribute the improved catch to the
decreased fishing pressure in the aftermath of the storm. But who knows … we are enjoying sharing fresh
fish with friends and filling our freezer.
We have settled into our slip at the Municipal Harbor, the only marina
open in town, where we watch a steady parade of big ships passing nearby in the
Corpus Christi Ship Channel, heading in and out of the jetties to the Gulf of
Mexico.
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| Corpus Christi Ship Channel from Municipal Harbor |
Our view of the sunsets is marred only by the rigs parked on
Harbor Island, awaiting repair, redeployment or possibly scrap.
Sunrise is haunted by the empty shell of a high-rise condo, still a long way from being livable.
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| Sunset, Port Aransas Municipal Harbor |
Sunrise is haunted by the empty shell of a high-rise condo, still a long way from being livable.
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| Sunrise, Port Aransas Municipal Harbor |
Shortly after our arrival, Robert meets two guys, in town
from South Carolina, to fish a weekend redfish tournament. They are looking for a local fisherman to
show them the best areas to fish and Robert is at the right place at the right
time to get volunteered. He has a blast,
enjoying seeing the entire area from the deck of a very fancy, very fast
fishing boat and getting to know two very nice young men.
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| South Carolina fishermen |
One day Robert gets an email from a couple we met at a
remote anchorage in the North Channel of Lake Huron last summer. We had stopped in our dinghy to visit with
them after we saw them fishing, then exchanged boat visits, docktails and
promises to keep in touch. The Canadian
couple, from Quebec, spend their summers in Lake Huron and winters in their RV
in Mexico. They emailed to announce they
would be arriving in Port Aransas in a few days and were we available for
dinner! Wow, small world! We had a fun evening, catching up on both our
travels, enjoying some redfish caught by Robert and prepared at a local
restaurant.
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| Pierre and Diane from Quebec with Robert |
Several of Carolyn’s friends have moved to the Texas Hill
Country (Kerrville / Fredericksburg area) so a trip to see them was in order
while Robert enjoyed fishing. (We have
moved both vehicles to Port A as an experiment, since the thing we most missed
these past few years was not having transportation at each stop.) I had a very fun trip, spending several days
with Jackie and Robert and making time to see Joy and Jim while in town.
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| Jackie and Robert, at home in Hunt |
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| Jim and Joy with Jackie, at home in Comfort |
A bonus was the drive during peak wildflower season!
While in town, we have a chance to say farewell to another couple, former neighbors with whom we socialized on a regular basis. Scott & Lynne have sold their home and are moving back north tp be closer to family. Sad to see so many of our former group now gone.
While in town, we have a chance to say farewell to another couple, former neighbors with whom we socialized on a regular basis. Scott & Lynne have sold their home and are moving back north tp be closer to family. Sad to see so many of our former group now gone.
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| Carolyn and Jackie at Wildseed Farm, Fredericksburg |
Our friend, Bill, has become enamored of Mokes, designed for
the British military in the 1950s. Best
described as a cross between a jeep and a golf cart, these street-legal
gasoline-powered vehicles exude “fun-in-the sun” vibes – perfect for Port
Aransas. Bill has a source in Australia
who locates original Mokes, refurbishes them and imports them to the US for him. He is selling them on an experimental basis
and enjoying the perfect Port A beach buggy around the island. We helped move 3 Mokes to the beach for a
photo shoot – web site coming soon …
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| Mokes on the beach, Port Aransas |
It’s almost time to head back to Houston, then points east,
for the summer. Meanwhile, shades of
spring are still evident in the form of this family of Black-bellied whistling-ducks,
making their way across the local golf course.
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| Black-bellied whistling-ducks, Port Aransas |
We are half way home on our 3-day cruise back to our home marina in Kemah. We appreciate calm seas crossing Matagorda Bay.
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| Matagorda Bay TX |
Thursday, June 6, 2019
We are happy to be settled into our slip at Waterford Harbor Marina as the pattern of summer afternoon thunderstorms begins.
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| Waterford Harbor Marina, Kemah TX |
Entertaining as always. Hope all is well.
ReplyDeleteWell, darn. I wish I had been paying better attention to your travel schedule. I wasn't sure where to send Ryan's graduation party invitation. We need to catch up if/when we're both in town!
ReplyDelete