There are two major events that occurred on September 11th; one, certainly, the Twin towers, I feel we all can remember where we were when we heard the news of this horrible event.

Another was Hurricane Carla. On this day in 1961, the community of Port O’Connor was almost totally wiped off the map.
Most you are too young to have lived through this; I did not live here then, but moved here several years later, out where John’s Fireworks Store now is. It was all undeveloped property; there were no buildings before Byers Street.

Out in that area were piles of refrigerators, stoves, chunks of concrete and other items washed out there by Carla.

But Port O’Connor, being the community it is, was rebuilt by a lot of hard labor and love. My friend Joyce Raby told me many times how what she could find of their belongings, was covered in nasty smelling mud. She washed what she could on a rub board, out in the yard. They lived with her in-laws until they could get their house livable.

I can’t imagine what they went through. I have found a few pictures of aftermath.

I hope Port O’Connor never has another Carla, but everyone needs to respect the storms. Just think of what those people went through for us to be here enjoying this lovely community today.

Hardware & Lumber—where Fisherman’s Chapel is now located

Original Post Office

Area where Sryker’s was, now Caracol