Pat O’Neill, left, and his wife, Heather, center, with their children on a recent camping trip. (Courtesy photos)
While the Southeast has been battered by a succession of hurricanes in recent weeks, RV parks across the region have been taking in evacuees and, in some cases, serving them hot meals.
“Where we are are located in northwest Florida, we experienced no damages whatsoever. We became a haven like many other parks outside the target areas,” O’Neill said. “We filled up for a few days each time and (my wife), Heather, made pots of homemade soups, including Conecuh sausage and bean and bacon/potato soup with grilled cheese sandwiches, for the evacuees.”
O’Neill said evacuees have been very appreciative of his park’s hospitality. “It was well received and guests were very grateful to have a safe and friendly place to (seek safe) haven and make new friends. We even saw old friends rekindle to meet up here for a respite.”
Camp Delta RV Park in Stockton, Ala. offered free campsites to hurricane evacuees, according to a report by WKRG, a CBS affiliate in Mobile, Ala. “If they don’t have a place we will fill up the cabins and then if we run out then we’ll go get a bunch of tents. We’ll find somewhere for them. We are not going to leave them where they don’t have a place to stay,” said park owner Luke Carruth.
Maynor Creek Water Park in Wayne County, Miss. and seven other parks managed by Pat Harrison Waterway District were also said to be welcoming Hurricane Milton evacuees from Florida. “Any of those campsites will allow anyone evacuating because of Hurricane Milton with an RV or tent to stay free,” WDAM, the Channel 7 television station in Moselle, Miss., stated in an Oct. 9 report.
“Pat Harrison (Waterway District) wants to do what they can do, and this is what they can do,” Maynor Creek manager Michael Tarver said. “Just like everybody would like to be able to do more, but most people can’t. They’re in trouble down there. They’re heading out, getting away from this monster. And they come all, they come this way, too. Everybody needs help.”
Hoover Met RV Park in Hoover, Ala. also hosted Florida evacuees fleeing Hurricane Milton, according to an Oct. 9 report by WBRC Channel 6 in Birmingham, Ala.
Campground operators and industry officials are still trying to assess the full impact of Hurricane Helene on Florida, Georgia, Tennessee and the Carolinas.
Mountain Stream RV Park in Marion, N.C.
What was known as of late Monday was that several campgrounds were destroyed and many others suffered varying levels of damage, including flooding and fallen trees. At least one campground death was reported. Scores of campgrounds in the storm’s path were without power and it was unknown when electricity would be restored or when they could reopen.
“This is the third time in 13 months that the Big Bend of Florida, specifically the Steinhatchee and Cedar Key areas, have received a direct impact, or were on the bad side of the storm,” Bobby Cornwell, executive director and CEO of the Florida RV Park and Campground Association stated in an email to association members on Monday.
“The storm surge and flooding was severe for coastal communities from Sarasota to Panacea. Tampa and Clearwater received bad flooding, and some parks are still under water in certain areas, including Nature’s Resort in Homosassa, which had significant flooding. Power outages are sporadic, but power is being restored quickly in most areas.”
What was particularly unusual about Hurricane Helene was the amount of damage the storm inflicted after it hit the Florida coast and headed northward across Georgia and into the Carolinas.
“It’s devastating,” said Dee Witting, executive director of the Carolinas Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds, noting that search and rescue teams were still scouring mountain communities across the region late Monday.
Unlike typical hurricanes, which unleash their most significant damage when they first hit the coast, the remnants of Hurricane Helene brought as much as 30 inches of rain to the mountains of Carolinas after rampaging across northern Florida and Georgia, creating levels of flooding that had never been experienced so far inland before. Witting said many campground operators in mountain areas remain cut off from civilization late Monday, unable to travel roadways that have been blocked by landslides, fallen trees, floodwaters or other damage from the storm.
Mountain Stream RV Park in Marion, N.C. announced on its Facebook page that the park had been totally destroyed. Witting said many parks have been affected by falling trees which blocked roads, damaged cabins and created other property damage.
“Most campgrounds are still without power. Many are without water,” Witting said, adding that she was working with CARVC’s lobbyists to ensure that state officials are aware of the damage suffered by campground and RV park operators and include them in emergency funding requests for recovery efforts.
Witting said she was aware of at least half a dozen campgrounds across the Carolinas that had suffered severe damage and that one person had died as a result of the storm at a campground in South Carolina.
Toby O’Rourke, president and CEO of Billings, Mont.-based Kampgrounds of America, Inc. (KOA), said its franchisees were still assessing the full extent of damage to their parks across Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia late Monday.
“With more than 50 campgrounds in the storm’s path, the effects have varied,” O’Rourke said, adding, “We expect to have a clearer understanding of the overall damage in the coming days. However, we do know that our Asheville East KOA Holiday and Jonesborough / Cherokee NF KOA Journey were among those severely impacted.”
O’Rourke said KOA’s priority is to support its campground owners, operators, staff, and their guests. “As many of our campgrounds in these states continue to assess the full impact of this devastating storm, our thoughts are with everyone affected,” she said. “We are committed to supporting our community and working closely with our campground owners and managers to aid their recovery during this challenging time.” KOA campgrounds that sustained minimal damage—or were unaffected—will reopen as soon as it is safe to do so, O’Rourke continued, noting that campers can visit KOA.com for more updates on specific campgrounds.
While many campgrounds suffered significant damage, others got through the storms with relatively minimal impacts, even in Florida. Cornwell noted that most of the affected parks near the storm’s path in Florida will reopen soon.
“The areas of Perry and Madison, north of where the storm made impact, were hit hard by strong winds, but most of the parks in Madison came out ok. The Madison RV and Golf Resort is open, the Station RV Resort is open, and Ragan’s Family Campground is expected to re-open on October 6,” Cornwell said.
Some companies with campgrounds or RV parks near the storm’s path said their parks were recovering quickly.
Five campgrounds in the Carolinas, Georgia and Tennessee that belong to Spacious Skies Campgrounds, LLC were affected by the storm, but all of them were expected to reopen soon, according to Ali Rasmussen, the company’s CEO.
Affected campgrounds include:— Spacious Skies Bear Den in Spruce Pine, N.C.: The park is currently closed while area and property clean up continues.— Spacious Skies Hidden Creek in Marion, N.C.: This park is currently without power and water, but expects utilities to be back up within a week to 10 days. However, this park is accepting campers on a boondocking basis who have been displaced by the storm or are working in relief efforts.
— Spacious Skies Peach Haven in Gaffney, S.C.: This park is currently without power and water, but expects those services to be back up within a week to 10 days. This park is also accepting campers on a boondocking basis who have been displaced by the storm or are working in relief efforts.
Spacious Skies Savannah Oaks in Savannah, Ga. and Spacious Skies Belle Ridge in Monterey, Tenn. had minor impacts, but both campgrounds are open and welcoming guests as clean-up continues, Rasmussen said. “Our priority continues to be the safety of our staff and guests. We are also doing whatever we can to support local clean-up efforts. We will likely have more to report in the coming days,” she said.
Parks that were an hour’s drive or more away from the storm’s path still experienced significant storm impacts, but they were much better able to bounce back after the storm.
Ho-Hum RV park in Carabelle, Fla. was about 60 miles west of Hurricane Helene when it made landfall. While the park sustained minor flooding, there was no lasting damage to the infrastructure at the park, which was able to reopen Sunday, Sept. 29, according to Scott Cleveland, marketing and market research manager for USA Camping Company, which owns and operates a dozen parks in 11 states. “The area was hit and lost power and cable, but overall the area is looking good,” Cleveland said, adding, “All beaches, restaurants, and local businesses are all open within a two-hour radius, including Apalachicola and Saint George Island.”
Advanced Outdoor Management (AOM), which manages RV parks across 23 states, also had a park affected by the storm. “Our South Carolina park, Lake Hartwell, got hit. They were out of power and WiFI for seven hours. They have trees down, but no major flooding, thankfully,” said Rachel Godbout, AOM’s chief operating officer.
Woodall’s Campground Magazine reached out to several other companies that have campgrounds and/or RV parks in the Southeast, including Equity LifeStyle Properties, Sun Communications and Camp Jellystone, but none had information they were ready to share as of late Monday.
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