Hurricane Irma ENP Aftermath

[Ted]

The NPS has created a website providing status of various parks that were affected by Irma

https://www.nps.gov/aboutus/news/severe-weather-response.htm

Below are photos that speak for themselves as it may be a while before the north and south entrances to ENP are open to the public.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/nps_eimt/

[Flex Kayakfari.com]

Wow! Looks like Flamingo got beat up some, but Ft Jefferson and Everglades City really took the brunt of it! :(

Closer to home, this is Irma's impact on Dania Beach:

(click pic)

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/reality-check/hurricane-irma-afterm...

Conch Lives Matter!

[Joseph Schmidt]

Does anyone know the post-storm condition of backcountry sites? I would be surprised if any of the chickees made it through Irma unscathed.

Do we have an idea of how long it will be before the Park resumes issuing overnight permits?

[Gary M]

Lane Bay, Roberts River, and Joe River  chickees were all still standing and showed no I'll efects from the storm. Even the out houses appeared ok when we ran by yesterday. Ate lunch on Joe... it seemed perfect... maybe it's because of the new plastic "wood"?

[Rob Stevens]

That's fantastic. We were wondering about the chickees further up the coast, toward the Gulf Coast VC area.

[Kim Gass]

I'm wondering if backountry permits will be issued this winter and by whom?

[toofaraway]

I spoke with Ranger Bob at Flamingo last week. Sounds like the Park got a lot of help by a wide variety of crews and things at the chickees are pretty good. He didn't have an update on Carl Ross. Call the ranger station w questions. I think that most Backcountry sites will be open.

[Kim Gass]

NO.

http://www.evergladesmulletrapper.com/pdfs/full_issue.pdf  P 10 of the Oct 21 issue

No backcountry permits are being issued at this time.

[Flex Kayakfari.com]

I also did a drive by of the Johnson Key Chickee which now has new roofing and lower center platform. It looks the same otherwise, however the porta potty was MIA. So it looks like they are working to reopen for camping soon. A Ranger at Flamingo also told me that they do plan to be open for the season! :)

[Joseph Schmidt]

Excellent, thanks for the updates.

[Kim Gass]

Yay Flex.. Cause I squeezed into Collier Seminole at the beginning of March for our annual birdwatching at Corkscrew and was hoping for a short five day er out of CS down to Charley Creek.!

[Flex Kayakfari.com]

I  paddled out on a recon to the Johnson Key Chickee last month to test out a new back country boat.

Surveying Hurricane Irma’s impact on the Johnson Key Chickee with the “Pa-Hay-Okee”!

(click pic)

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/trips-sea-stories-pics/random-galle...

[Gary M]

Flex...

Great photos as usual. Thanks!

I really liked your trip around SweetBay Pond. I had the same idea when I saw the levels. I have always wanted to hike out into that western pine land east of Mahogany Hammock road. I wish I had time to float it when the water was up.

But you do know that the tree leaves in your one photo are not SweetBay right? I sure hope so... it looks more like poison wood leaves to me?