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Georgia’s Fort Pulaski National Monument Reopens After Hurricane Ian

The National Parks Service has announced that the Fort Pulaski National Monument in Georgia has reopened after Hurricane Ian prompted a temporary shutdown.

In a press release, the agency said that “officials completed an assessment of the park’s facilities and resources” over the weekend. And they found only minor damage. So NPS saw no reason to keep the facility closed.

Fort Pulaski originally paused operations on Sept 28 as Ian threatened to hit Georgia and the Carolinas. But as of today, the monument is back to its normal schedule from 9 am until 5 pm. However, the service does ask that people use precautions while exploring the site.

“While little damage was observed, please use caution when exploring the park via trails,” it wrote. “There may still be some hazardous limbs and branches present.”

Fort Pulaski National Monument is located just outside of Savannah. The brick building is touted as being one of the best preserved civil war forts in the country.

Hurricane Ian Spared the Fort Pulaski National Monument

Hurricane Ian made landfall along the US Atlantic Coast on Wednesday. After slamming Florida with 155 mph winds, it downgraded to a tropical storm. But Ian gained strength when it passed back over the ocean and was classified as a Cat 1 hurricane for its next landfall.

South Carolina felt the worst of the Wednesday weather. The storm’s surge knocked out power, flooded low-lying areas, and destroyed many of Myrtle Beach’s piers. However, North Carolina and Georgia were mostly spared.

Florida remains the worst hit state. Currently, millions of households are still living without power and thousands of people are unable to return to their homes due to extensive damage.

FEMA workers, local deputies, and National Guard members are currently going door to door helping residents evacuate flooded areas. Officials have confirmed a total of 78 deaths in all of the impacted states, with 54 of those in Florida. As rescue efforts continue in the coming days, the state warns that the toll could rise.

Unfortunately, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis expects that it may take years for cities around the Gulf Coast to recover from the aftermath of Hurricane Ian. And that will make an impact on the Sunshine State’s tourism industry.

“Places that people are used to going to that are no longer in existence,” Carol Dover, president of the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association said. “I’m afraid that it could be a year or two, could be years before that even gets back to any form of normalcy.”