Posted by Elsa on October 04, 2016 at 15:19:44
FYI: Everglades National Park will close today, Tuesday, October 4, at 5pm and remain closed until after the storm passes or projections of the storm’s path warrant reopening. Dry Tortugas National Park is expected to be out of the path of the storm, and to remain open. Everglades National Park’s gates will be locked at 5pm, and all visitors to the park today must exit the park before 5pm. Yesterday, the park stopped issuing backcountry permits, and closed the park’s backcountry to campers, as well as the Flamingo campground. In order to protect visitors, government property and visitor facilities spread across a large geographic area, Everglades and Dry Tortugas National Parks begin pre-cautionary preparations 72 hours before any predicted landfall. While this hurricane is currently predicted to remain offshore, past experience with shifting storm tracks necessitates the parks exercise caution, and take a conservative approach to planning and preparations. The parks will continue to monitor the storm and adapt plans as needed. Updates will continue to be available on the parks’ websites and social media channels. Everglades National Park - www.nps.gov/ever - click on Alerts Dry Tortugas National Park - www.nps.gov/drto - click on Alerts