Bahia Honda SP

Bears Den wrote:
I have reservations at John Pennekamp for next April. Hopefully by then the park will be open, I would love to add some $$$ to the local economy to help them out. Luckily where I live in Estero we only had minor structural damage with some flooding and a lot of downed trees and limbs. I think the snowbirds that head down for the winter might want to start getting some other plans in place.

I think you will be alright, I'm face book friends with the people that runs the concession stands and the store and they put out that they made out quite well.

NanciL wrote:
We are leaving tomorrow to head down to our one year old forty foot travel trailer that is in Key Largo to salvage what we can.
I have already been told that there is no external damage thanks to my hurricane tie downs, but I am assuming that it is totaled since the ocean surge went right through it.

Our "tupper ware" dock box with a brand new washer and dryer which was behind it blew right over. That also had hurricane tie downs and they were pulled right out of the ground. I can only guess what the wind force was that did that.

Our brand new 4' x 6' porch and steps all made out of 2" x 6"s which had six 4" x4" legs in concrete deck blocks is about a hundred yards away. It is completely intact. Visualize what the surge current must have been like.
I'll need some sort of front end loader to get that back to our place.

Jack L

Sorry to hear that, prayers are with you

Closer to where I live, Edisto Beach campground had their electrical system damaged from storm surge a year ago during Hurricane Matthew. They just recently reopened the campground and then had it damaged again from Irma's storm surge. I know Bahia Honda had a storm surge with Irma. Is it likely their electrical system in the Buttonwood campground was damaged? I have camping reservations there in Buttonwood for next June. In previous hurricanes there with storm surges, did the campground's electrical system get damaged? If so how long did it take them to repair it and get portions of the park open again?

I have reservations at John Pennekamp for next April. Hopefully by then the park will be open, I would love to add some $$$ to the local economy to help them out. Luckily where I live in Estero we only had minor structural damage with some flooding and a lot of downed trees and limbs. I think the snowbirds that head down for the winter might want to start getting some other plans in place.

We are leaving tomorrow to head down to our one year old forty foot travel trailer that is in Key Largo to salvage what we can.
I have already been told that there is no external damage thanks to my hurricane tie downs, but I am assuming that it is totaled since the ocean surge went right through it.

Our "tupper ware" dock box with a brand new washer and dryer which was behind it blew right over. That also had hurricane tie downs and they were pulled right out of the ground. I can only guess what the wind force was that did that.

Our brand new 4' x 6' porch and steps all made out of 2" x 6"s which had six 4" x4" legs in concrete deck blocks is about a hundred yards away. It is completely intact. Visualize what the surge current must have been like.
I'll need some sort of front end loader to get that back to our place.

Jack L

The above photos are from Sandspur campground. A campground for smaller vehicles and tents. Same thing in the last hurricane, Sandspur was closed for a couple of years. Not the same for the Buttonwood or the rest of the park.

plasticmaster wrote:
https//storms.ngs.noaa.gov/storms/irma/index.html

This is aerial photos post Irma. Bahia Honda looks really bad, but most of the structures appear to remain intact. Nature center is missing part of roof/shingles. There's one lone camper in Buttonwood campground. Hopefully they can get it cleaned up soon. Also, praying the folks that live in Keys can get their lives back in order.

Here you go.

Before


After

https//storms.ngs.noaa.gov/storms/irma/index.html

This is aerial photos post Irma. Bahia Honda looks really bad, but most of the structures appear to remain intact. Nature center is missing part of roof/shingles. There's one lone camper in Buttonwood campground. Hopefully they can get it cleaned up soon. Also, praying the folks that live in Keys can get their lives back in order.

I wouldn't count on Bahia Honda opening this year, maybe not even next year. It's a apocalyptic scene from what Ive been told.

Ralph Cramden wrote:
I think if I was NCwriter, I would leave my plans alone for now but would be making other plans and reservations elsewhere in the meantime, just in case. I would bet State Park cleanup / reopening and other recreational amenities are low on the State of Florida's pecking order.

The Keys are fairly wiped out. Long Key State Park, my favorite, was closing in October anyway for some more work. Erosion has shortened the site lengths in recent years. We would have been there during the last week. Now I wonder if it will ever reopen.

We'll probably just stay home and use the time and money to keep working on up updating our bathrooms, already in progress. The whole state got hit so it won't be very good timing for camping anywhere. Anxious to find out if Turtle Beach County campground on Siesta Key near our home has survived.