Sunday; first it was but a blip on the radar scope, a chance of a storm brewing in the Atlantic. Then it began to grow into a tropical system, No worries yet as it was far off and all we worried about was where the specks were biting and what on. The surf was nice and sandy green. But soon, all too soon, the water would begin turning color with the surf building into one of the most disastrous storms to impact the Bolivar Peninsula.
Monday; the surf at “The Cut” was choppy but fishable as I waded in casting silver. Off to my right several waders were doing well on specks and reds on mirror lures and rattle traps. Though my silver spoon was producing several specks, mostly throwbacks under the 16inch limit, I was still having fun doing what I love to do. Then I noticed the wind-change from out of the northeast. A weather front must be moving in, I thought. Little did I know what was about to happen!
Tuesday morning; the northeast winds begun rolling the surf with 3ft to 4ft waves, some capping over my head almost knocking me off my feet. Wading was very difficult and my age wasn’t conducive with these kinds of elements. After only one hour, with very few strikes, I decided to give it up and head back to my camp. Today was not to be and the weather reports were getting ominous with the first signs of trouble from the tropics.
They called it Ike, a named storm we would soon curse as it grew into a developing Hurricane that would change many things, our lives, our dreams, and our fears. Getting out while the getting was good, I evacuated early, ahead of the mandatory and the panicked rush it would cause. I’ve been through six Hurricanes and sensed danger.
At first the weathermen predicted it would hit south Texas, where they had just weathered Hurricane Dolly. Not to worry yet, then the cone shifted to Port Lavaca, but before the day was out it shifted again to Matagorda. Alarmed the authorities began warning the public about possible voluntary evacuations. The next morning found Ike gathering up steam and shifting further north to Freeport. “If you stay, the authorities advised, “You will die!! Now, it was time to worry!!
The panic started slowly at first with the mandatory evacuation orders then picked up speed with Ike growing into the huge storm it would become, swallowing up the Gulf with its Class-2 winds and threatening the Galveston coast with its Class-4 storm surge.
On Wednesday; Dick Riley, of Natures Best RV Park, phoned me to inform they were expecting 5 to 6 ft of water in the park and wanted to move my Motor-Home from Rollover Pass to High Island. Thinking it would be safe there, I gave the ok. But then Ike shifted yet again to target Galveston and its barrier islands. Bolivar was a barrier island and would be on the dirty side of Ike. Not good, as a storm surge of 23 feet was expected to flood its shores and wreak havoc on the beach homes.
As most of Bolivar was only a few feet above sea level a disaster was in the making and Rollover Pass, a popular fishing area located on the upper side of Bolivar, was about to become history, and along with it the little beachside resort community of Gilchrist.
Thursday and Friday spawned more panic as those who knew the power of such a storm hurriedly packed what they could and drove north, west, and east to avoid the wrath of Ike. A few, however, didn’t heed the warnings and chose to ride out the storm. “We’ve been through this before”they chortled, we’ll ride this out as well.”But few of those who decided to stay ever witnessed such a storm that was barreling towards them with such relentless intention. Like one weatherman explained, “Ike was like a HUGE water bubble getting ready to burst onto our shores.
Friday night, as the storm surge neared with its terroristic winds, one of those who stayed behind, a woman, reached out for help. Calling friends after realizing she made a big mistake she now wanted to evacuate. But it was too late, the roads were flooding and gale force winds were fierce. They couldn’t get to her. Her last spoken words before the phone went dead were anguished and fearful as Ike began destroying her home and her life around her. Search teams found her body among the wreckage in the debris field.
I fear that some of those who decided to “stick it out”would eventually be found, or not found, among that massive debris field, left by the Hurricane in Galveston Bay. Ike had ripped through pastures killing over 10,000 head of cattle, destroyed an estimated 80% of the beach homes on Bolivar. Leaving a horrible mess that would take at least two years of repairs and replacements. Bolivar Peninsula would never fully recover from Ike’s impact and Crystal Beach, Port Bolivar, and Gilchrist areas will never be the same as we knew it. There was simply too much damage done. And winds of change will soon replace the winds of destruction. So far, of the reported 300 people missing after Ike only 70 have been found ……deceased.
Gone; is the infrastructure that generated the life’s blood into the very breath of a living community.
Gone; are the R.V. Parks, motels, hotels, restaurants, gas stations and stores that lodged and fed those beachside communities.
Gone; are the bait & tackle shops that excited the throngs of anglers and visitors with rumors of catching fish.
Gone; is Rollover Pass, as we knew it, where untold thousands of anglers visited every year to fish for the golden croaker, flounder, redfish, and speckled trout that created legendary fishing runs for all to enjoy.
Gone; are the Houses of Worship that filled our very souls with the Amen’s of the blessed and of those to be blessed.
Gone with the wind; are the warm, sandy beaches of a paradise lost.
To view what is happening at Gilchrist and the Rollover Pass area as well as to help out with the rebuilding process click to the rolloverpasstexas website/ikeBy: Ed Snyder / Ed Snyder Outdoors
