Hurricane Hanna aftermath: Storm surge, flooding causes widespread damage along South Texas coast

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — As expected, Hurricane Hanna made landfall at around 5 p.m. Saturday just south of Baffin Bay as a Category 1 storm. What was not expected was the size of its storm surge and the devastation it would leave behind.

While the eye of the storm barreled into the rural areas south of Baffin Bay, such as Kleberg and Kenedy counties, its storm surge had a huge impact on areas much further north — the end of Bob Hall Pier at Padre Balli Park was ripped away by waves, and waters breached Corpus Christi’s seawall and made it inside the Art Museum of South Texas and the Texas State Aquarium. Nearly all of North Beach was affected by flooding.

Here’s a look at Hanna’s aftermath:

Downtown Corpus Christi & North Beach

Flooding is a perennial problem on North Beach as coastal erosion has continuously shorted the beach over the years, to the point where City of Corpus Christi and Nueces County have had to replenish its sands.

While flooding is to be expected on North Beach during most any strong storm, Hurricane Hanna’s storm surge quickly covered the beach and parking lots — even the long walkway to the U.S.S. Lexington Museum.

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The Texas State Aquarium also took on water, but officials reported just minor damage to their facility. They also thanked their “ride-out team” for staying with the animals to ensure their safety.

The downtown area also took on more water than it has during previous, more powerful storms. 3News meteorologists point to the location at which the storm made impact and the direction of its winds as the root cause of this, though it still brought along far more water than expected.

Corpus Christi’s downtown seawall protected most of the area, but waves crash against it and over it in some place. Water managed to get inside the Art Museum of South Texas, which rests right up against the seawall.

Near Cole Park in downtown Corpus Christi, boats at the Costa del Sol marina were scattered as the docks broke apart.

Emergency responders were called to rescue three boaters who had planned to ride out the storm. The rescue was captured on video and shared with 3News.

Padre Island

The effects of Hurricane Hanna could be seen on the beaches of Padre Island as early as 10 a.m. Saturday as tides reached the picnic tables at Bob Hall Pier and Padre Balli park.

The pier has lasted through stronger storms in the past, but Hanna brought devastating waves, causing the t-shaped structure at the end of the pier to break off entirely.

As the storm moved inland and storm surge grew higher, condos along the seawall at Whitecap beach even took on water, with waves crashing over the seawall in some areas.

3News viewers shared photos of much of the damage in the area, including a sunken boat in the waters behind the Boathouse Bar & Grill near Whitecap.

Damage is on the Laguna and Gulf sides of the island. Officials with the park said it will remain closed until further notice.

Flour Bluff

As with many storms that bring heavy rains, Hanna brought flooding to parts of Flour Bluff including areas along Laguna Shores and the canals.

Wind also reportedly toppled a large sign outside a taqueria in the area.

Rockport

The Rockport area is all too familiar with hurricanes. In 2017 it was ground zero for Hurricane Harvey, which devastated the area

Hurricane Hanna made landfall much farther south than Harvey, but the effects of its heavy rains and storm surge — along what many refer to as the “dirty,” northern side of the storm — still reached as far as Rockport.

3News will continue to update this story with more pictures, videos and information from our viewing area.

For the latest updates on Tropical Storm Hanna, click here.

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