Hunting Island remains closed after extensive flooding. What to know before you go
Hunting Island State Park will remain closed through at least Sunday as roads are still under water after a deluge last week.
Almost 13 inches of rain fell on the park on July 7-8, according to a weather app used by park managers. The downpour flooded roads and parking areas and closed the park to day use, including the beach and nature center.
The campground is open to those with dry sites.
Park staff have used four pumps to remove water more quickly. The largest pump is concentrated on the deepest water between the admission gatehouse and visitor center, park manager J.W. Weatherford said.
The other pumps are deployed at the roads and beach parking areas near the lighthouse.
“There’s still lots of water in the roads,” Weatherford said. “You think of 13 inches over 5,000 acres, and that’s a lot of water dropped at one time.”
A limited number of volunteers from the park’s turtle nesting team are still accessing the beaches to search for and protect nests and hatchlings.
State park officials plan to repave roads at Hunting Island as part of a $3 million project. The work would also raise areas prone to the type of flooding that has closed the park.
The work could be done by the end of the year.
In the meantime, potholes were filled using money remaining from the previous fiscal year budget and larger problem areas covered with steel plates.
The park recently marked the completion of a $17 million project to restore the beach and dune system.
This story was originally published July 14, 2020 at 11:09 AM.
