News Release

Park Closure for Tropical Storm Ian

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News Release Date: September 29, 2022
Contact: Jon Manchester, 803.647.3964

HOPKINS, SC – Due to the forecasted path of Tropical Storm Ian, Congaree National Park will be closing at 4:00 pm today, Thursday, September 29, and will be closed until further notice. Current plans are to reopen, pending assessments of roads and facilities, on the morning of Sunday, October 2. During this closure, all park facilities, campgrounds, hiking and paddling trails will be closed to the public until further notice. Events and programs scheduled for this weekend’s SwampFest event at the Harriet Barber House and Congaree National Park have been cancelled and rescheduled for Saturday, October 22.  

As of the 8:00 am advisory from the National Hurricane Center, Tropical Storm Ian is forecast to regain strength once it has moved offshore of Florida, reaching maximum sustained winds of 70 mph prior to making landfall in South Carolina on Friday evening. Starting tomorrow evening, the area around Congaree National Park is likely to see tropical storm strength winds and up to six inches of rain. During periods of high winds and heavy rain there is an increased risk of trees falling and flash flooding within the park and on area roads.

Anyone with plans to visit the park this weekend should wait for further information on park conditions before attempting their trip. Current park conditions and status updates will be available at https://www.nps.gov/cong/planyourvisit/conditions.htm.

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