Surviving Hurricane Celia

On the final days of July in 1970, a devastating storm swept over the Coastal Bend. The category 3 storm dubbed Hurricane Celia touched down in Aransas Pass at wind speeds estimated around 125 mph. Hurricane Celia left great devastation behind in its path, costing the lives of 15 Texas citizens and earning the title of “most costliest” tropical cyclone in Texas History until Hurricane Alice in 1983. Though much was lost in the wake of Celia, several stories of extraordinary human triumph rose from the rubble. This gallery of photos originates from a recounting of one man’s experience surviving Hurricane Celia. The veteran and boat captain, pictured in this gallery alongside meteorologist and Texas politician Maclovio Perez and other research scientists in Corpus Christi, retold the story of his survival amidst the storm; stranded in the water and unable to access safe shelter, the boat captain shielded himself in his boat until he reached a safe point of escape. His presence in the Aransas Pass marina was essential to further tropical cyclone research, as it allowed for institutes like the Coastal Dynamics Lab to find resources such as photos of the marina completely emptied by the force of Hurricane Celia. Without these tales of human perseverance, there would be little to say about Celia besides the devastation this stormed wrecked on the Coastal Bend. At CDL, documentation of severe weather events allows our researchers to develop models and procedures for risk evaluation in the future, preventing future loss at the magnitude caused by Celia.