Hunting Island closed again due to flooding after holiday weekend. What to expect
Hunting Island State Park is closed again due to flooding after rain Tuesday, a problem that has plagued the park in recent months.
The park’s roads and parking lots are flooded from 6 inches of rain over the holiday weekend, and the park is closed to visitors until further notice, Hunting Island officials announced on the park Twitter account Wednesday.
Hunting Island received 3 1/2 inches of rain overnight Sunday into Labor Day, and four pumps began running Sunday afternoon to relieve flooded areas.
The 5,000-acre park also closed after an estimated 12 inches of rain over 48 hours in early July.
State park officials plan work this fall to build out a network of drainage ditches and repave roads in an effort to prevent such flooding and access problems.
The park recently completed a $17 million project to renourish the beach and dune system. And work is expected to begin during the next year to rebuild the fishing pier that was heavily damaged during Hurricane Matthew in 2016.
Hunting Island is one of the state parks system’s busiest, attracting about 1 million people each year. But in recent years some peak visiting times and amenities have been affected by nature.
The state is now offering tours of nearby St. Phillips Island, which it purchased from media mogul Ted Turner in 2017 to develop as a rugged retreat and alternative to Hunting Island.
This story was originally published September 9, 2020 at 12:17 PM.
