Post-Dolly Update on Valley State Parks
July 25, 2008 by Paris and John
Filed under News and Festivals
We just received a post-Hurricane Dolly update from Texas Parks and Wildlife Department about parks in the Rio Grande Valley. The parks are looking good with most storm debris rather than damage. According to TPWD State Parks Division Director Walt Dabney. “Hurricane Rita caused severe damage to some of our upper coast parks in 2005. This week we only have to tidy-up a bit.”
On Friday, three state parks – Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley, Estero Llano Grande and Resaca de la Palma State Parks (all part of the World Birding Center) – remain closed. The beach at Mustang Island State Park in Corpus Christi also remains closed today due to high water.
Today game wardens deployed to help during the storm also headed home. Some 72 game wardens and supervisors, along with seven boat mechanics and two communications specialists, were deployed to South Texas in preparation for Hurricane Dolly, bringing with them 70 boats. By Thursday, game wardens in Cameron County had performed four separate high-water rescues and answered several calls to check on the welfare of stranded residents.
As deployed officers return home today, South Texas game wardens will continue to assist local first responders as needed.
This week, unaffected state parks hosted about 30 evacuees at no cost in campsites and screen shelters.
To find out the status of Rio Grande Valley state parks affected by the storm, call 512-389-8900, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Mon.-Fri. or visit the World Birding Center Web site, http://www.worldbirdingcenter.org/ .
