UPDATE 6: Dry Tortugas Re-opens to Visitors After Hurricane Ian
On Tuesday evening, September 27th, major Hurricane Ian made it's first US landfall, marking a direct hit to the Dry Tortugas National Park in Florida.
The storm had been strengthening steadily after crossing western Cuba, with sustained winds of 120 mph as the eyewall passed directly over Garden Key and Loggerhead Key. Heavy rains and storm surge also directly affected all areas of the 100 square mile park.
Current status of Dry Tortugas Hurricane Ian storm damage assessment and re-opening
On Thursday, September 29th, National Park Service (NPS) staff began to assess storm damage with a flyover of the the main Dry Tortugas attractions, including Garden Key. It was noted that there was significant damage to the ferry docks and visitor boat slips at Fort Jefferson..
The NPS deployed the M/V Fort Jefferson on Friday, September 30th, with a team to further assess damage and commence clean up efforts.
Park waters are currently open to private vessels, but the boat slips remain closed
As of Sunday, October 2nd, sea plane tours have resumed for visitors
The interior of Fort Jefferson is now open to visitors
If you plan to visit park waters by private vessel, keep in mind that many buoys and boundary markers might have been damaged by Hurricane Ian - they have not yet been inspected
Trees damaged by Hurricane Ian on Garden Key 📸 NPS
Clean up efforts underway at the boat slips 📸 NPS
View of Fort Jefferson, looking south, taken from the flyover on Thursday, September 29th | NPS
Trees of the Fort Jefferson interior parade grounds sustained notable damage, stripped of their vegetation | NPS
Close up view of Hurricane Ian's eye, passing directly over the Dry Tortugas | Source: RadarScope
With a direct hit from the eyewall of Hurricane Ian, the NPS will make sure that key park features such as Fort Jefferson are deemed safe again for visitors before the Dry Tortugas National Park completely reopens.
Subscribe to the Yacht Warriors for updates on storm damage and Dry Tortugas re-opening dates.
Hurricane Ian Dry Tortugas before and after photos
Thanks to a tip from a Yacht Warriors follower, we can begin to identify some of the damage that may have occurred to the Dry Tortugas from Hurricane Ian. NOAA released some imagery taken several days after Hurricane Ian passed.
I compared some of the before and after imagery. Check it out below. My overall assessment? It doesn't look like there was any major structural damage visible from satellite photos. Shifting of sand, damage to docks, and vegetation damage look like the biggest culprits.
Of course, a birds eye view is nothing compared to what the NPS will learn in the coming days with their crew on the ground.
Notable changes are visible to Bush and Long Keys from Hurricane Ian storm surge | NOAA & Google Maps
A zoomed in view shows some damage to the camping area and boat slips at Garden Key | NOAA & Google Maps
Some damage from storm swell to the Garden Key dock is visible, but many decking boards are still in place | NPS
There are some visible changes to the shape of the sand bars at Loggerhead Key | NOAA & Google Maps
The only visible damage I could identify to Loggerhead Key is the dock on the east side | NOAA & Google Maps
Close up view of the damage to the Loggerhead Key docks from Hurricane Ian | NPS
History of Dry Tortugas and hurricanes
This is by no means the first hurricane to affect the park since construction of Fort Jefferson commenced on Garden Key in 1846.
Most recently in 2017, Hurricane Irma damaged a ~50 foot section of the moat wall and deposited large amounts of sand within the moat and piers. It's worth noting that Hurricane Irma was not a direct hit - it passed ~90 miles to the east, at Cudjoe Key.
Damage to the moat wall from Hurricane Irma in 2017 | Source: NPS
Hurricane Ian continued to strengthen to a very dangerous category 4 storm with sustained winds of over 155mph. It made a second Florida landfall in the afternoon of Wednesday, September 28th, near Cape Coral, Florida.
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