The “Open” sign went on for the Bolivar Peninsula Sunday afternoon. Residents of the east Galveston County community were allowed to return home about noon.
But most returning found no power and a big mess. The cleanup will take a bit of time to do, but the electric company that delivers power to the area says the lights won’t go on anytime soon.
Elliot Jennings, the emergency management coordinator for the county, said Entergy informed his office “it will be a long, long time before electricity will be restored," and that it may be up to a month before the lights go back on.
Meanwhile residents who can show proof of residency to either High Island or Bolivar are being allowed to return through two checkpoints manned by the Galveston County Sheriff’s Office.
One checkpoint is located at the Galveston County line at Chamber County the other at the ferry landing on the island side.
Tim Cunningham of the Texas Department of Transportation said two ferries are taking residents to the peninsula until dusk Sunday. The ferries will resume a dawn to dusk schedule Monday he said.
The state agency is waiting for word from local officials before opening the ferry up to a full schedule said Cunningham.
