Cedar Point Fishing Pier, Inc., which is over one-half mile long, is owned by Roland C. McRae. It is located at the foot of the high-rise bridge leading to Dauphin Island. Being surrounded by water, Cedar Point has experienced many hurricanes, but, Katrina was the worst. This area was the hardest hit area in Alabama.
McRae owns the business with his three sons. He says that the Pier has always been a family owned business and he and his family are continuing the tradition. There’s been a pier there since the 1940s. The McRae family has owned this pier for a little over 20 years. He says that five generations of families have fished on the pier. Some people have even come to spread out the ashes of cremated loved ones. He says the only thing he asks is that they “check which way the wind is blowing.”
All of the company’s employees evacuated the area because of Hurricane Katrina, but Mr. McRae decided to stay in his mobile home which is across the road from the pier. He says he guess he was “just tired of running” and had “hurricane fatigue.” During previous hurricanes, the employees had moved inventory, and evacuated; but then the hurricane would either move in another direction or it would not be as devastating as predicted.
In the midst of Hurricane Katrina, McRae called one of his sons and told him that he and his dog had their life jackets on. “The water was up ten feet and the trailer was only 13 feet above sea level.” The force of the storm tore the porch off the mobile home. His sons say that McRae survived Katrina, but they will never let him ride out another hurricane, “even if they have to drag him out.” No one anticipated the strength of Katrina. “This time was different and will never be forgotten.”
The fishing pier had sustained damage in the past, but Katrina “ripped everything away and washed away the pier.” There was a storage building on the pier which continued to stand through every hurricane, except Katrina.
Hurricane Katrina was the third major hurricane to hit this business. “Hurricane Ivan was really bad, but even (Hurricane) Ivan left part of the pier. I had a huge bait house over the water (on the pier). That bait house made it through every other Hurricane, except Katrina.” The employees had put all of the perishables (including bait) in storage; but, “the power was out for so long, we lost everything.”
McRae mourned the loss of his business for months and he thought that he was not going to be able to rebuild his pier. This business was his livelihood, his dream; but above all, it was an opportunity for his customers to come there and be happy. When residents returned to the area, they came to the location of his former business and cried. “People get to come out here and spend a few dollars and enjoy a nice evening to take their mind off their troubles. It’s an inexpensive outlet.” “This loss affected a lot of people. Not just the employees, but people that would not have otherwise been able to have the peace of mind while fishing at the pier.” The business was closed from August 29 until March 1.
He said people would come by just to see if he was going to rebuild. He finally decided that he just needed the opportunity. Mr. McRae said that the turning point to rebuild was when an individual came by and gave him a $1,000 toward his rebuilding efforts.
His business has increased so much since he has rebuilt that he has hired security personnel to “walk the lot and make sure that a family environment is maintained.” They have people that come by and tell them how glad they are to see the pier rebuilt. One customer told them that he had been bringing his son to the pier for the last seven years and was afraid that they were not going to get to come back this year.
Mr. McRae now has modular trailers that can be moved as needed. Mr. McRae plans on keeping these modular buildings because he will be able to remove them when they are warned about another hurricane hitting the area.
“If it had not been for SBA, there would be no fishing pier. Hurricane Ivan had damaged the pier last year, and now Katrina wiped it out. SBA is to be commended.”