After the Storm

SOUTH PADRE ISLAND - When Hurricane Dolly blew through South Padre Island, the storm interrupted the height of the tourist season, and the economic impact could be far reaching.

"If the tourists don't come, the hotels can't pay their part-time employees and will have to let them go,'' town spokesman Dan Quandt said. "That will impact the economy as much as the storm."

No one can calculate the economic damage at this point, he said, and the long-term impact is even more difficult to measure. 

July is the busiest month of the year for Island businesses, which generate about half their annual income during the three summer months.

And it will be some time before a dollar amount can be placed on the physical damage from Dolly.

Quandt, who is also the executive director of the South Padre Island Visitors and Convention Bureau, said damage to the roof of the convention center alone will likely top $1 million.

Meanwhile, the recovery from Dolly is under way, but complicated by the lack of electricity. Quandt said Friday that power could be out for more than a week.

Power company trucks can be seen all over the Island, working to remove damaged power poles and prepare for the installation of new poles and wires. A convoy of additional repair trucks was spotted headed toward the Island on Friday afternoon.

A substation in Port Isabel that is critical to getting power to the Island sustained heavy damage, and no estimate of when it will be repaired has been made.

"It's not just the power lines down on the Island, the substation in Port Isabel sustained heavy damage," Quandt said. "That has to be repaired as well before we can get power to the island."

Officials, business owners and residents are frustrated over the lack of power and the inability to begin many repairs. The hum of small electric generators can be heard all through the town.

Without power, banks are closed and ATMs are out of order, meaning many residents could be left without funds for food, water and other supplies.

Town officials are trying to arrange for fuel on the Island with the state's assistance, although Quandt said no such program has been put in place.

The current presidential declaration of disaster further hinders recovery efforts.

The declaration does not apply to individuals or the public, only to government needs. This means, for the time being, individuals are responsible for the clean up and repair of their homes and businesses.

Town officials warn residents to be cautious if approached by private recovery businesses who claim the government will reimburse them for any costs incurred for their services. Under the present declaration, there will be no government assistance for this type of recovery.

"It's one small victory at a time," Quandt said. "The first one was getting water back to the Island. We should have trash pick-up again very soon."

There is a concern among the business community that some small business owners may not be able to recover at all.

PsychaDeli, a sandwich shop on Padre Boulevard, sustained major damage. Owners Amy Alvis and Josh Kay said they are dealing as best they can with the devastation, but are unsure of their future.

And there are other frustrations for local residents.

Since no mandatory evacuation was ordered, the hurricane return stickers issued by the town are not being checked, allowing anyone to cross the causeway onto the Island.

"Apparently anyone is allowed on the Island right now," Alvis said. "That is absolutely disrespectful to those who live here and follow all the rules.

"I don't understand why they are allowing people to just drive around looking at all of our devastation,'' she said. ``If people are going to come to the island, they better be bringing rakes and shovels and be prepared to help us."

At the Cameron County Parks office at Isla Blanca Park, Parks Director Joe Mendez showed photos of some of the damage around the parks.

"I don't know when we'll be back up and running, or when people we ordered out before the storm can return. I'll know more about that Monday or Tuesday," he said.

No one will be allowed to return until cleanup is complete and all utilities are available again, he said.

Mendez said officials were predicting before the storm that any outages could be restored within five to seven days.

"Personally, I believe it's going to be more like 15," he said. "Look at all the downed lines."

He ran through a list of some of the damage within the park. "Dolphin Cove, wall blown down. The Sea Ranch Restaurant, (with) water inside the building on the floor. Fences down. Shade shelters down at Dolphin Cove and the jetties."

He showed a picture of a blue sailboat that, anchored outside the Sea Ranch Marina before the storm, dragged its anchor and drifted into the marina.

Mendez said he hasn't formally totaled all the damages, but he did make an estimate.

"I think we're looking at more than a quarter million dollars, just in the parks alone," he said.

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott was on South Padre Island Friday to assess the damage and address the public. He expressed gratitude to the public works, fire, police and EMS departments for their efforts during Hurricane Dolly.

He is concerned because his office has already received complaints of price gouging and recovery scams. He is urging the public to use caution when approached by individuals offering recovery services.

"These individuals know our residents are in great need. They feed off the public's desperation and offer hope with unlikely promises," Abbott said.

The AG's office advises to only use businesses that are licensed and bonded. The attorney general also urges residents to talk to their insurance agents, and get estimates before having any work done.

The governor of Texas has declared the Rio Grande Valley a disaster area, and in so doing, made price gouging illegal. The AG's office will take action against individuals perpetrating scams or price gouging.

Anyone who sees or has information about such scams is urged to contact the AG's office at 1-800-252-8011. Fines for such offenses can be upwards of $20,000 per violation.