Rockport-Fulton hears updates from leaders at first town hall since Hurricane Harvey

Sept. 13--ROCKPORT -- As cleanup continues and negotiations start with insurance claims adjusters and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Aransas County citizens needed more than a hot meal.

They wanted to hear updates straight from their leaders.

Eighteen days after Hurricane Harvey's Category 4 landfall, the chamber of commerce hosted the Rally for Rockport-Fulton Chamber Luncheon in the parking lot of what has become volunteer central on Main Street.

More than 50 people sat under a tent and were fed by Mercy Chefs, a faith-based, nonproft disaster relief organization, that has been in town since the week after Harvey, before Aransas County and city officials took the stage.

With three days notice, Phillip Zuniga and Scott Simmons, two members of Leadership Aransas County, wrote and performed an original song called "Walk the Streets of Rockport," which will be available online to purchase soon with half the proceeds going to recovery.

"When the storm hit, we were all in a big room," said Aransas County Judge Burt Mills said. "As soon as the storm was over, state resources and resources from the federal government and out-of-state resources, flooded the town. It was amazing."

The volunteers and immediate donations were plentiful but overwhelming in the first few days. Leaders were grateful but needed to focus on search-and-rescue operations and turning on utilities and electricity, so they turned to the chamber of commerce.

On Aug. 26, the chamber started the Hurricane Harvey Fund for Rockport Fulton GoFundMe account to direct people offering monetary donations. Since then, more than $345,000 has been raised.

The online account will be divided into two accounts at First Community Bank, the first of which will be restricted to Rockport's cleanup efforts and the second will be for the city of Rockport employees who sustained damage or total loss.

"They put the safety of residents ahead of their own needs," according to C.J. Wax, Rockport mayor, in his Aug. 31 "Message from the Mayor" on the city's website.

Wax told luncheon attendees that officials will look at rebuilding the community better than it was before.

Now that electricity, water and sewage services have returned to most of the county, efforts will be focused on cleanup and rebuilding. As of 6 p.m. Tuesday, there is still an active water boil in Aransas County.

Fulton mayor Jimmy Kendrick said Rockport and Fulton are one community going forward.

"For someone for Fulton to say that, you know it means something," Kendrick said, laughing. "We will rebuild better -- today, tomorrow. You can take that to the bank."

One voice that has been silent publicly since the storm hit has been Rockport Police Chief Rick McLester, who has served as the director of the county emergency operations center.

"When you think of first responders, you think of the Big 3 -- fire, police and (emergency medical services)," McLester said. "But now we're going to add road and bridge and public works folks. When I heard that toilet flush for the first time, I couldn't believe it."

McLester commended the nearly 6,000 AEP technicians who worked daily to get the county electrified in nearly half the time of the original estimate of one month.

He also said the police departments of Portland and Corpus Christi and area fire departments were in Rockport in the hours after the storm hit when there was still no reliable communication.

Find a list of businesses reopened in Aransas County

"You have to remember that volunteer firefighters are not paid, they are all volunteers," McLester said. "They never missed a beat. It's those boots on the ground, but it's also neighbors helping neighbors. It's you."

Questions from attendees ranged from insurance adjusters and the status on internet service to registered contractors to tree ordinances. One woman wanted to know when debris would be picked up in Lamar, an unincorporated community in the county.

"There are 18 contract trucks in the community to pick up debris," he said. "They are starting from the outside and working toward the middle and removing it from critical infrastructure first."

"It's not a sprint, this is a marathon," McLester said. "It will be a long process."

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