Hunting Island reopens today. Here's what you should know.

Hunting Island State Park reopens on Friday for the first time since Hurricane Matthew made landfall in October.

The reopening was set for Memorial Day weekend, but severe thunderstorms and heavy rainfall tore through the Lowcountry, causing another week's delay.

Some parking areas are still flooded, as well as areas near the beach. The park's staff suggests carpooling to the park if possible.

Roadways are cracked and water is pooled on the sides of the roads. Downed trees can still be spotted throughout the park.

However, restroom facilities are back open, and the beaches are accessible once again.

But even the beaches look a little different.

"There used to be pine trees and palm trees, but now it's mostly palm trees," said volunteer Ralph Fabiano. "... So it kind of looks like the Caribbean more than South Carolina."

"Not as bad as I thought, but still changed," said volunteer Keith Rossman. "There's no dunes, no pine trees. It's flatter."

The Friends of Hunting Island group brought more than 100 volunteers to the park Wednesday and Thursday to help with the restoration efforts.

The volunteers built around 365 picnic tables, according to park staff member Chuck Northcutt.

They also painted the historically accurate lighthouse fence.

All of this in only two days' work.

"There are not enough words in the English language to thank these people," said the group's environment director Mary Ann Radke.

"The friends, besides giving  their money, they're giving their sweat," she said.

The volunteers didn't let anything stop them, despite their efforts being pushed back a week along with the reopening due to the previous week's flooding.

Radke said the average age of a volunteer was 60 years old.

One volunteer showed up with a broken leg, but "worked just as hard as everyone else," she said.

They even worked through Wednesday's rain, Radke said.

There's one more thing you should look out for if you're heading to Hunting Island this summer: mosquitoes.

The bugs are viscous at Hunting Island, and the volunteers suggested wearing bug spray that contains a high percentage of DEET.

"It's the same old park, it's just a little different," Rossman said.

This story was originally published June 1, 2017 at 6:28 PM with the headline "Hunting Island reopens today. Here's what you should know.."