Hurricane Michael Recovery Efforts

In each of the past three years, a major hurricane struck Florida and nearly every state park was affected by these storms. The Florida Park Service learned from each storm, improving state parks’ ability to recover and continue protecting, interpreting and restoring Florida’s natural and cultural resources.

In 2017, category three Hurricane Irma raced up Florida, closing 168 parks. A new recovery tool used geographic information systems to pinpoint storm impacts and enabled park leaders to strategically deploy people and equipment for cleanup and repairs. With incredible teamwork, 166 parks opened their gates within 30 days.

Long-term recovery requires planning and environmental restoration. For example, 3,000 feet of a popular beach at Bahia Honda State Park had to be rebuilt after Hurricane Irma. Volunteers planted 500 native plants, preventing erosion on the reestablished beach.

In October 2018, Hurricane Michael hit Florida’s Panhandle and set new devastation records. Within 72 hours, teams from non-impacted parks swarmed in to clear debris and rescue impacted colleagues. Again, data collected from mobile devices guided the placement of recovery resources so that cleanup could begin as soon as it was safe. The entire Panhandle region, including its state parks, is still dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Michael.

Recovery is an ongoing process. This page is a home for updates and stories about hurricane recovery in Florida State Parks.  

Parks Still in Recovery

The following parks have closures related to Hurricane Michael.  Please check back frequently as updates will be made often.

Campground Closures 

Visitors with campground or cabin reservations should visit the Florida State Parks' reservation website or call 800-326-3521 or TDD (888) 433-0287.