ONLY 11 STATE PARKS REMAIN CLOSED FOLLOWING HURRICANE MATTHEW

Florida Department of Environmental Protection sent this bulletin at 10/09/2016 06:34 PM EDT
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Media Advisory: Oct. 9, 2016

CONTACT: DEP Press Office, 850.245.2112, DEPNews@dep.state.fl.us

ELEVEN STATE PARKS REMAIN CLOSED FOLLOWING HURRICANE MATTHEW

~More than 80 state parks have reopened~

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – DEP’s Florida Park Service announces that only 11 state parks remain closed. Florida Park Service staff have traveled across the state to impacted areas to open more than 80 state parks within 48 hours following Hurricane Matthew.

The following state parks remain closed until further notice:

  • Anastasia State Park (St. Johns County)                 
  • Blue Spring State Park (Volusia County)
  • Faver-Dykes State Park (St. Johns County)
  • Fort Clinch State Park (Nassau County)
  • Gamble Rogers Memorial State Recreation Area at Flagler Beach (Flagler County)
  • Hontoon Island State Park (Volusia and Lake counties)
  • Little Talbot Island State Park (Duval County)
  • Mike Roess Gold Head Branch State Park (Clay County)
  • North Peninsula State Park (Volusia County)
  • Sebastian Inlet State Park (Brevard and Indian River counties)
  • Washington Oaks Gardens State Park (Flagler County)

    Florida Governor Rick Scott has declared a state of emergency.

    Visitor safety is paramount in the decision to close and open Florida state parks during times of severe weather. The Florida Park Service is in constant communication with state and local emergency operations centers and will keep parks closed as necessary to ensure visitor safety.

    Following severe weather events, the Florida Park Service works to reopen parks as quickly as possible to provide recreation for Florida's residents and visitors. Strike teams from parks unaffected by Hurricane Matthew have been sent to the areas hardest hit by the storm to assess damage and begin cleanup efforts. State parks will be opened as quickly as visitor safety can be assured. Parks that have reopened may have reduced amenities.

    Please visit floridastateparks.org and the Florida State Parks Facebook page for continuously updated information.

    The 2016 Atlantic Hurricane season runs from June 1 – Nov. 30. For additional information about severe weather in Florida, and to Get A Plan, visit FloridaDisaster.org and FLGetAPlan.com. Follow the State Emergency Response Team on Twitter at @FLSERT and Facebook at www.Facebook.com/FloridaSERT.