Wondering about impact of Harvey and Irma

[Thunder_Mountai]

For the first time I had toyed with the idea of snowbirding on the Texas coast or south Florida. Needless to say we did a 180.

So, I called to make reservations in one of our usual AZ winter parks. Glad we called. The area we like is usually wide open in December. Had a heck of a time finding an acceptable spot. Reservationist said they were really filling up early.

That got me to wondering about the impact of the two hurricanes on snowbirds in Texas and Florida. I did do a check using rvparkreviews.com on areas around Rock Port, Corpus, the Keys and up the west coast of Florida. In the Keys I did a rough count of maybe 1,500 sites. Didn't try to do a count around Rock Port and CC but must be in the thousands. I just gave up. I know there is a full two months before peak season. Lots of work can be done and marginally damaged parks reopened, but...

My question is for those of you in snowbird in the affected areas. What can you report about what you know about your favorite parks?

Good thoughts to all of you who have been affected.

[charlestonsouth]

traveling -- My family and I can relate to the Hugo experience in 1989 in the Charleston, SC area. It seemed to take forever to have piles of debris and wreckage picked up, mosquitoes feeding on everyone, smells from the rivers because sewage treatment plants were not working, electricity soon came back on line after three weeks (a great gift after so much generator noise), and rats and snakes crawling out of so many piles of debris. Even the alligators were confused as to where they should be, so we couldn't let our dog out into the back yard. Rockport by having the fair is pushing some sense of normalcy to show that life must go on (even though visually it doesn't look and feel that way).

[traveylin]

Its very hard to find relevancy in quotations about Zorba the Greek when the first need of travelers is good information to act on. A recommendation posted about the return of a large 300 unit rv park at Aransas Pass, needs to be tempered with yesterdays statement by the mayor of Port Aransas that 75 % of Port A businesses were outright destroyed or severely damaged to inhibit operation.

[John_Joey]

traveylin wrote:
Spent two years and hurricane Hugo in Puerto Rico. An Rv there is just a yatch with a prop. Absurdity this weekend in rockport within sight of the lines of hundreds of people waiting on temp med assistance, FEMA assistance Red Cross assistance and food stamps is the city sponsored carnival called sea fair with loads of circus rides to take relief dollars from the poor. The relief area is in the old HEB parking lot because most city county buildings are red or yellow tagged

Life is all about perspective. In "Zorba the Greek" when the son lost everything the Dad said something like "but, look at all the options you have now."

We all lived through hardship at one time. Some get stronger, others just turn bitter.

[traveylin]

Spent two years and hurricane Hugo in Puerto Rico. An Rv there is just a yatch with a prop. Absurdity this weekend in rockport within sight of the lines of hundreds of people waiting on temp med assistance, FEMA assistance Red Cross assistance and food stamps is the city sponsored carnival called sea fair with loads of circus rides to take relief dollars from the poor. The relief area is in the old HEB parking lot because most city county buildings are red or yellow tagged

[tomman58]

jdb7566 wrote:

tomman58 wrote:

traveylin wrote:
37 percent of businesses and dwelling were deystroyed in aransas county,rockport. The hurdle towards achieving normalcy is disposal of the huge piles of trees and wreckage lining all roads. The county,FEMA has not put out a definitive schedule for removal and based on the first six weeks of progress it will take 6 to9 months. The movie theatre is shut for good, restrarant startups are using tents and temp kitchens. Construction workers for commercial and residential repairs are in temp quarters. The county was hit very hard and will be disfunctional for quite a while

Thanks for the info. People think Houston and Florida are ok and back to normal they are not at least not yet. The people in Puerto Rico have paper towels that is it for them for years.

I've yet to meet someone who takes their RV to Puerto Rico.

You are right there, we normally go from the RV park to the cruise ship then to PR. Adds a dimension to staying in our winter home. Glad we are going to Mexico area this year.

[jdb7566]

tomman58 wrote:

traveylin wrote:
37 percent of businesses and dwelling were deystroyed in aransas county,rockport. The hurdle towards achieving normalcy is disposal of the huge piles of trees and wreckage lining all roads. The county,FEMA has not put out a definitive schedule for removal and based on the first six weeks of progress it will take 6 to9 months. The movie theatre is shut for good, restrarant startups are using tents and temp kitchens. Construction workers for commercial and residential repairs are in temp quarters. The county was hit very hard and will be disfunctional for quite a while

Thanks for the info. People think Houston and Florida are ok and back to normal they are not at least not yet. The people in Puerto Rico have paper towels that is it for them for years.

I've yet to meet someone who takes their RV to Puerto Rico.

[tomman58]

traveylin wrote:
37 percent of businesses and dwelling were deystroyed in aransas county,rockport. The hurdle towards achieving normalcy is disposal of the huge piles of trees and wreckage lining all roads. The county,FEMA has not put out a definitive schedule for removal and based on the first six weeks of progress it will take 6 to9 months. The movie theatre is shut for good, restrarant startups are using tents and temp kitchens. Construction workers for commercial and residential repairs are in temp quarters. The county was hit very hard and will be disfunctional for quite a while

Thanks for the info. People think Houston and Florida are ok and back to normal they are not at least not yet. The people in Puerto Rico have paper towels that is it for them for years.

[traveylin]

37 percent of businesses and dwelling were deystroyed in aransas county,rockport. The hurdle towards achieving normalcy is disposal of the huge piles of trees and wreckage lining all roads. The county,FEMA has not put out a definitive schedule for removal and based on the first six weeks of progress it will take 6 to9 months. The movie theatre is shut for good, restrarant startups are using tents and temp kitchens. Construction workers for commercial and residential repairs are in temp quarters. The county was hit very hard and will be disfunctional for quite a while

[joebedford]

BarbaraOK wrote:
Not in the Mesa area where we stay. We usually talk our last walk at 9 or 9:30 pm - during January that means a jacket, but otherwise it is warm in the evening. Not saying it won't be nippy by morning, but the evening is not the problem. Now if you are up at altitude, then it gets colder quicker.

Interesting. We're going back to Mesa this winter. However, our observation from previous stays is that as soon as the sun goes down, it gets quite a bit cooler. No shirtsleeves after sundown.

Doesn't stop us from going to the pool and hot tub at 10pm.

[empty_nest]

So glad to hear that Rockport is recovering!! We plan on coming there next winter, if all goes according to plan. We've been there a couple of times visiting and just fell in love with the community.

[John_Joey]

You gotta' luv Texas.

[LynnandCarol]

pawatt wrote:

LynnandCarol wrote:
Rockport is up and running! Approx. 80% of businesses have re-opened and most others will re-open in the coming weeks. To my knowledge all RV parks are up and running! Seafair will take place in October. Rockport was broken, but it gets better each day!

Good to hear, how did you guys fare?

Moved the front of RV over a foot and half bending stabilizer. Roof AC hit by tree limb and exploded shroud/broke fan blade (fan replaced and AC works). Eight small tears in roof from limb (patched). Awning destroyed. Our park lost 8 RV's, four flipped over and four went into copano bay. Could have been allot worse! Most of the damage here was due to over 29 tornado's spawned form the hurricane.
We evacuated to Palenstine, TX for 10 days, then came back 9/3 for 10 days of no power (had generator).

[pawatt]

LynnandCarol wrote:
Rockport is up and running! Approx. 80% of businesses have re-opened and most others will re-open in the coming weeks. To my knowledge all RV parks are up and running! Seafair will take place in October. Rockport was broken, but it gets better each day!

Good to hear, how did you guys fare?

[LynnandCarol]

Rockport is up and running! Approx. 80% of businesses have re-opened and most others will re-open in the coming weeks. To my knowledge all RV parks are up and running! Seafair will take place in October. Rockport was broken, but it gets better each day!