Fort Pickens, Navarre Pier closing as 4-6 inches of rain forecast for island
The beneficial rain moving over the area for the next few days has forced Gulf Islands National Seashore to close until the weather system passes.
The Gulf Islands National Seashore announced Tuesday that it was closing Fort Pickens at 11 a.m. and ordering all campers to evacuate the area by noon as the weather forecast calls for 4 to 6 inches of rain for the island, the National Park Service said.
“Due to potentially deteriorating conditions forecasted by the National Weather Service office and past experiences, there is a significant likelihood of flooding on park roadways leading the park to close some Florida areas until further notice,” said Steve McCoy, deputy superintendent in the announcement. “We understand the impact that these types of closures have on our visitors and the community, but our priority is to ensure the safest environment possible for visitors and staff.”
Additionally, the Navarre Beach Pier will close at 5 p.m. today due to the hazardous weather. The pier is expected to reopen for regular hours Wednesday.
The National Weather Service forecast the highest amounts of rainfall near the coast, with 2 to 4 inches of rain between now and Thursday for coastal areas. For inland areas, rainfall totals will be between 1 to 3 inches.
A low-pressure system will move slowly along the Gulf Coast to bring much-needed rain as the region is under drought conditions. The system will bring high winds and surf Tuesday evening with winds of 30 mph and gusts of up to 45 mph.
A gale warning is in effect for the waters off Pensacola's coast, and the coastal areas of Escambia and Santa Rosa counties are under a wind advisory until midnight Wednesday.
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The high winds will bring waves of 6 to 9 feet, creating dangerous rip currents along the beach and causing minor beach erosion.
Despite the bad weather offshore, the system is not expected to cause any major flooding problems, but it is being monitored closely, the weather service said.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Fort Pickens closed as weather system brings in rain to Pensacola
