Scars of Hurricane Harvey's destruction still present in Dickinson

DICKINSON, Texas (KTRK) -- A year after Hurricane Harvey hit our area, its impact is still felt in Dickinson.

Drive around the town, and the debris, trailers and "for sale" signs give away the clues of destruction.

"Oh, it's sad," Dickinson resident Mike File said.

After 20 years, File said his street doesn't look the same.

"At one point, I counted. You could actually see 12 houses," File observed. "We just had our fifth person move back in."

It's not just empty houses. "For lease" and "we'll be back soon" signs liter dozens of businesses across the community.

"Your local grocery stores that you could run to aren't here anymore," Dickinson resident Ashley Yell said. "So now you have to go to your bigger grocery stores outside of Dickinson."

The storm damaged more than 7,000 Dickinson homes. It's a dilemma for Mayor Julie Masters, who's had Harvey on the brain for the past 12 months - an event she'd not like to repeat.

However, Masters said another storm could create flooding. She says the bayou needs to be dredged, ditches cleared, and debris cleaned. Masters said in order to do so, the city is waiting on state and federal money.

"Without a doubt, if we had another 'Horrible Harvey,' I call him, we would definitely flood again," Masters said.

It's not all bad. Masters said a lot of the "for sale" signs have disappeared.

"I know houses on the market aren't staying there for very long, which is a really good sign," Masters observed.

It's a retail bump locals have noticed.

"Whoever comes in, I hope they have a love about the community like we have and will be seeing this as a future place to just have this luxury of beauty," Dickinson resident Patty File said.

"We have to decide. Are we going to build it up and work together to rebuild things? Or, are we going to let the community fall apart?" asked Mike.

With a mantra of "Dickinson Strong," it's doubtful that'll happen.

Follow Nick Natario on Twitter and Facebook.