Arts and culture organizations across the Rio Grande Valley are still recovering following the historic flooding that occurred at the end of March. The Texas Tribune reported that between March 26 and March 28, the region received “nearly 20 inches of rain.”
Six people died as a result of the severe weather, including deaths related to a fire sparked by a lightning strike and drownings. While cities like Laredo and McAllen received monumental rainfall, Harlingen was hit the hardest. Entre Film Center, Cactus Valley Art & Supply Company, and Comminos Studios in Harlingen are among the venues still working to clean up damage and navigate loss.
A team helps to clean up the Entre headquarters following floods
Over the weekend, April 4 and 5, Entre hosted cleanup days at its headquarters located at 415 W. Jackson Ave. Volunteers gathered to clean and inspect items damaged by water, inventory lost and damaged media from the library, organize materials, and general cleaning of the space.
In an Instagram message, Entre shared a hopeful sentiment noting, “We’re good and we’re going to move as needed to ensure we’re able to offer the best we got. A lot of this has to do with the endless support we have received from our community. We love you so much and are eternally grateful.”
Cactus Valley Art & Supply Company sorts through water damaged supplies
Around the corner, Cactus Valley took on a foot of water, which displaced its inventory and destroyed student work. In an Instagram post Souther Recio, the founder, stated, “We still have a long way to go before things are back to being operational. I cried so much yesterday. Walking into the store in the morning was so overwhelming. Y’all know my story. I built this place with $0 to my name and a credit card. I am SO proud of what we do here and it was a lot to see it in such a state of disarray.”
Photographs of the street outside of Comminos Studio and the interior spaces affected by flooding
About a half mile away, Comminos Studio, a work/live space for artists Alexander and Rachel Comminos, is also recovering. Ms. Comminos told Glasstire, “It’s been a slow clean-up process with the big building. I’m not even able to calculate all of our losses. Everything low or on the floor got damaged by the water or ruined. Our home, gallery, and studios were under 13 inches of water for about 24 hours… This has been the hardest time, and we’re both exhausted.”
Ms. Comminos noted that individuals interested in supporting the artists can purchase works through her art website. Additionally, Frontera Strong, a local group supporting communities in the Rio Grande Valley, has organized a resource list for people affected by the flooding. The list provides vital information needed for those still recovering and offers ways that others can donate to support organizations like Entre and Cactus Valley.
