As Tropical Depression Florence moved further into South Carolina on Saturday, Hunting Island State Park continued to be the only state park open along the coast. This is a relief for the park, as it is still recovering from the effects of Hurricane Matthew.
In October of 2016, when Hurricane Matthew ravaged Hunting Island State Park, it left the park closed for nearly eight months while the park service tried to repair the more than four million dollars in property damage and one million dollars of damage in downed trees.
Then in September 2017, Tropical Storm Irma passed through the park, leaving most of Hunting Island underwater and closed for nearly three months. When driving through the park, one is still reminded of Hurricane Matthew and its effects on the park by the posted signs and the downed trees.
On Saturday, with Florence starting to drop rain at the park, visitors breathed a sigh of relief that Florence’s impact was minimal and those visitors continued to enjoy walking on the beach.