Hurricane damage closes Buck Island to visitors
Published: September 2, 2010
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ST. CROIX — The National Park Service has closed Buck Island Reef National Monument to the public until further notice because of damage that occurred during the territory’s brush with Hurricane Earl, although officials hope to reopen some areas by the weekend.
“It’s entirely closed right now to all activities,” Chief Ranger Lorena Harris said Wednesday afternoon. “We have folks out there right now to see if there are areas we can open to the public in the near future, for example the underwater trail. As soon as those assessments are made, we will begin the process of trying to open some areas to visitation.”
The announcement of the closure said it was done “in the interest of public safety” and noted that potential water quality issues in the immediate wake of the storm also factored into the decision.
“Health and safety — that’s our major concern,” said superintendent Joel Tutein, adding that the Park Service hopes to have most areas of the national monument open by this weekend.
“I know people want to enjoy the Labor Day weekend, so we’ll do our best for Labor Day,” Tutein said.
Harris said that the problems prompting the closure included beach erosion and “a lot” of debris — much of it man-made material.
“I think it washed up as a result of the surf and the swells bringing in the debris,” Harris said.
The wave action also eroded sand away from one of the beach picnic areas, then washed it back up, burying the tables, Tutein said.
“One picnic area was hit pretty hard. From what I saw, I believe we may have to keep that closed for an indefinite period of time until we can do some repairs,” Tutein said, adding that some tables in that area are buried so deep “that when you’re walking along the beach, you’re walking on top of the picnic table.”
Additionally, some of the wooden braces on the dock washed away, Tutein said.
Harris said damage to the pier that was done by Hurricane Omar in 2008 was worsened by Earl’s passing. The park is in the process of receiving funding to repair the damage from the 2008 storm.
“The combination of the two has created safety hazards we’re dealing with,” she said.
Water quality is another concern in the area, which is popular with snorkelers, Harris said. Stormwater runoff can contain bacteria that temporarily deteriorate beach water quality.
In a Government House release, V.I. Department of Planning and Natural Resources Commissioner Robert Mathes urged people to avoid swimming at the territory’s beaches until his department conducts water-quality testing.
Harris said that the Park Service will make “every effort“ to accommodate visitors by Saturday, “but if public safety is at risk or in jeopardy, we will keep it closed.”
— Contact Joy Blackburn at 774-8772 ext. 455 or e-mail jblackburn@dailynews.vi.
