Had you planned to speak out on Hunting Island beach renourishment? Irma says you can’t

A chance for the public to weigh in on a multimillion-dollar project to restore Hunting Island’s beaches has been postponed as another hurricane threatens the South Carolina coast.

The public hearing had been scheduled Sept. 12 on St. Helena Island and will be rescheduled at an undetermined date, S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control spokesman Tim Kelly said. State parks officials are seeking a permit to pump 1.2 million cubic yards of sand onto Hunting Island’s beaches and build up to four new groins to help keep the sand in place.

Hunting Island has been struggling to recover since Hurricane Matthew smashed the northern Beaufort County attraction in October.

The park’s beaches have been closed since before Labor Day weekend due to flooding and impassable roads. Hurricane Irma is on track to again threaten the South Carolina coastline early next week.

The main gate to the park remains closed to visitors. The campground and nature center are open.

Park officials are monitoring the storm and preparing for a possible evacuation, a state parks spokeswoman said Thursday.

This story was originally published September 7, 2017 at 10:42 AM with the headline "Had you planned to speak out on Hunting Island beach renourishment? Irma says you can’t."