It’s been almost a year since Hurricane Harvey hit.
When Harvey came ashore, we were prepared for the storm but not prepared for the devastation and destruction it left us," said Pat Rios the Mayor of Rockport.
In fact, this is the biggest disaster in Rockport’s history.
The cleanup and restoration has been an ongoing process and building experts predict it could take years for things to get back to normal.
We as a company have done over 100 jobs here in Rockport and the Coastal Bend area and it feels like we have barely touched the surface of it and I think there is still going to be work here for another 3-5 years," said Pheryl Horst from American Allegiance Construction.
Rockport’s economy has also been adversely effected, especially in the hospitality industry.
"Tourism has really taken a hard hit here in Rockport," said Parkie Luce from Luce Properties.
Key Allegro an exclusive part of Rockport and the home of several luxurious condominiums – all of them were hit hard by Hurricane Harvey. To this day none of them have reopened.
"All of them are closed so none of the vacationers can stay at this point. What’s the good news? The great news is that one of the complexes that have 100 condos will be opening by the end of this year," said Luce,
But that is still a fraction of the room availability pre-Harvey.
"The Chamber of Commerce has been advertising that there are over 600 hotel or motel rooms that are available for folks to stay in when they come down for a weekend," said Luce.
To put this into perspective, Luce says that’s 600 out of about 6000 rooms pre-Harvey.
"It’s that bad. Mm mm it is bad," said Luce,
Money aside, what about the mental health of the community? Mayor Rios says that has been a major concern
"We’ve seen lots of changes with folks we’ve had people that have just rolled with the storm that are fine we’ve had people that have had different reactions," said Rios.
And to help people who still are still having problems, whether it be coping, financial. or just someone to talk to. Aransas County has set up a long-term Harvey Relief and Recovery Team.
"Every single day we do nothing but come in and help with recovery," said William Whitson from the Long Term Recovery Team.
So Whitson says if you are still suffering from the effects of Harvey. The first thing you should do is call the long-term recovery hotline, the number is (361)909-496
"We don’t have a silver bullet for everyone and for every situation but we have been able to help hundreds of people get back on their feet," said Whitson.
So if you are still feeling the effects of Harvey, you are not alone. The key is to be patient and let the healing and mending process take place, and be strong… Rockport Strong.
For additional information:
https://www.aransascounty.org/harvey/assistance-donations/long-term-case-management-services/
