When we researched RV parks for Corpus Christi, we decided to stay outside the city in neighboring Rockport, Texas. Little did we know that Hurricane Harvey hit Rockport hard! The hurricane hit the area as a Category 4 with wind gusts up to 132 mph. They received some of the worst wind and storm surge damage. Nobody heard about it because after the problems Houston had, that was the focus of the media. According to Aransas County (where Rockport is), the hurricane affected about one-fourth of the county’s 9,228 structures and 6,000 of the 24,000 residents lost their home. The hurricane made landfall on August 25, 2017. We stayed in Rockport December 17-20, 2017, a little over 3 ½ months later.
We had never been to the area before so couldn’t really say how much it had changed, but we did see evidence of the extent of the damage. Homes missing roofs, structures completely leveled and piles upon piles of debris. Hard to imagine what it looked like immediately following the hurricane. The locals we spoke to said they think many businesses and citizens will never return. That one event changed Rockport forever.
Seeing it was an eye-opening experience even 3 ½ months after the event. So much devastation in a instant. Hard to imagine the heartache and grief the residents endured. Certainly put things into perspective.