Actually, except for a little plywood covering store fronts and the waters of the Gulf of Mexico and the Laguna Madre being muddy-brown instead of their normal clear-green, it was indeed difficult to tell that a hurricane had even visited. Some visitors and residents did flee the island in the face of the Category III hurricane, but others chose to “ride it out” and witnessed a phenomenal – albeit hair-raising – show. Now, South Padre, one of Texas’ most popular beach destinations, wants to let other visitors know it is ready to welcome them.
South Padre and Port Isabel, which is located on the mainland across the Laguna Madre from SPI, sustained very little physical damage. In fact, none of South Padre’s many hotels or attractions were damaged in the least and are open and awaiting tourists.
So, if you have reservations to visit South Padre this summer, don’t cancel them. The hurricane will be a distant memory before you get there. And, with over a month of summer left, if you haven’t thought about visiting the “Texas Tropics,” perhaps you should.
