CHINCOTEAGUE, Va. - Nearly a week after Hurricane Erin hit offshore, crews are still working to repair the damage left behind on Assateague and Chincoteague.
The storm did not make landfall, but its powerful surge pushed sand and water across both islands, closing roads, beaches and parking lots. Hugh Hawthorne, superintendent of Assateague Island National Seashore, said the storm caused more problems than many expected.
“The storm actually had a lot more effects on Assateague than you might think because it passed well offshore,” Hawthorne said. “But we had a very strong storm surge, and it came in at a time of a very high tide.”
In Maryland, beaches have reopened, and most of the floodwater has receded. But in Virginia, crews are still racing to repair the Chincoteague Beach complex, where the storm surge destroyed the main parking lot. Bulldozers are now pushing sand, filling gullies and rebuilding fences to prepare for the busy holiday weekend.
Hawthorne said the goal is to have the parking lot available to visitors by Labor Day, though the size of the reopening depends on how much progress is made this week.
“We will have something open by Labor Day weekend,” Hawthorne said. “What’s up in the air is how much of the parking lot we will have rebuilt. Maybe half capacity, maybe three quarters capacity.”
To speed up the process, the National Park Service is being assisted by the town of Chincoteague and Accomack County. Hawthorne said crews are working extended hours in hopes of meeting the holiday deadline.
While visitors may not be able to access the beach on Chincoteague, Hawthorne encouraged them to explore other parts of the refuge and seashore or head north.
“Right now, come to Maryland because everything’s open in Maryland again,” Hawthorne said. “If you want to go to the beach, you need to come up to either the state park or the national seashore.”
Officials also noted that long-term solutions are already in progress. The beach operations in Virginia are being moved about two miles north to a more stable location, but that project remains several years away.
For now, crews are focused on repairing what they can in time for one of the busiest weekends of the summer.