More than a month after Hurricane Milton struck, several parks and beaches in Pinellas County, including Ft. DeSoto Park, remain closed. State and local officials are expected to provide updates on the recovery process this Friday.

David Harshbarger, the park manager at Ft. DeSoto, described the devastation as unprecedented.

“We’ve had flooding before, but nothing like this—every structure, every piece of infrastructure was submerged,” Harshbarger told News Channel 8 Tampa Bay.

He explained that Hurricane Helene caused severe storm surge damage, followed by Hurricane Milton, which added to the destruction just ten days later.

At the campgrounds, the scene is dire. Toppled trees have crushed buildings, electrical outlets are unusable, and over 200 picnic tables were either swept away or destroyed. Crews have cleared much of the debris, now piled along roadsides awaiting removal.

“We’re on the recovery schedule, but reopening takes time,” Harshbarger said. “The park is important, but ensuring our surrounding community is in good shape comes first.”

The beach itself faces significant challenges. Portions of the seawall are damaged, boardwalks are soaked through, and hidden debris poses risks.

“We’ll need to rake parts of the beach to uncover what Milton buried,” Harshbarger said. “We can’t risk someone building a sandcastle and finding a rusty nail.”

Some parts of the park may remain inaccessible for up to a year. However, Harshbarger emphasized the commitment to reopening safely and incrementally.

“The moment we can safely allow people in, we’ll open any available areas,” he assured.

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Google, & X

(Image credit: WFLA website screenshot)