HOPKINS, SC – Congaree National Park is closing in anticipation of Tropical Storm Debby. The storm is expected to begin impacting Congaree National Park as early as late Monday evening and will move slowly through the area, creating a high likelihood of excessive rainfall.
Tropical Storm Debby reached Florida’s gulf coast early Monday as a hurricane, but has been downgraded to a tropical storm as it passes over the northern part of the state. Forecasters warned that record-setting rain could persist along the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina in the coming days.
Due to the slow-moving nature of this storm, the National Weather Service has placed much of the region around Congaree NP under a moderate to high risk of excessive rainfall Tuesday and Wednesday of this week.
Current projections are calling for the area in the immediate vicinity of the park to receive between 10-15 inches of rain through Friday, and there is a moderate to high probability that flash flooding will occur.
While floods in some areas can be catastrophic events that cause harm to humans and property, flood events in the bottomland forest at Congaree bring nutrients and water into the floodplain, according to a park release. Many of the park’s natural systems not only withstand flood events, but they depend on periodic flooding from the Congaree and Wateree Rivers to thrive.
All visitor facilities and hiking and paddling trails will close to entry beginning Monday, August 5 at 5:00 p.m. until the storm has passed.
The park will reopen once conditions permit park staff to assess conditions to ensure visitor and staff safety. The park is scheduled to reopen at 7:00 a.m. on Friday, August 9 if conditions allow.
