The summer of 2018 has turned out to be far stronger for the tourism industry in Port Aransas and Rockport than officials of the hurricane weary resorts had any reason to expect this past spring, News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.
"We are virtually all the way back, we will be all the way back by the end of this year," said Jeffrey Hentz of the Port Aransas Visitors Bureau.
"This summer we are having a way better than expected summer, considering that we have almost all of our retail and our restaurants back open, and a good deal of our lodging."
One year ago this month, Port Aransas and Rockport were literally at the eye of the storm, as Hurricane Harvey slammed ashore with pounding rains and winds in some places in excess of 110 miles an hour.
Much of the coastal portions of northern Port Aransas and all of Rockport were shattered by the storm, with piles of debris standing where popular restaurants and hotels once stood.
Hertz says the owners of Port A businesses took the lead in making sure that rebuiling got underway with delay
."All the credit goes to the business owners who have repaired it on their own out of their savings, and are still fighting with insurance to get that reimbursed."
Several Port Aransas hotels and restaurants even offered guests discounted rates if they would be willing to pick up a shovel and help clean up the mountains of storm debris which littered the towns.
Some 50,000 volunteer hours helped Port Aransas get sort of back to normal.
IMAGE: PORT ARANSAS VISITORS BUREAU