United States Department of the Interior s11

United States Department of the Interior NATIONAL PARK SERVICE Cumberland Island National Seashore 101 Wheeler Street St.Marys, Georgia 31558

Cumberland Island National Seashore News Release Release Date: Immediate Contact: Jill Hamilton-Anderson, 912-882-4336, x257

Cumberland Island and Fort Frederica to Remain Closed Through Post Hurricane Irma Assessment (St. Marys, GA)-Hurricane Irma is expected to have impacts to Camden County and Cumberland Island National Seashore and Glynn County and Fort Frederica National Monument. The seashore and national monument will remain closed to the public until after the storm has passed and re-open once damage assessments have been made and the parks deem they are safe for visitation. If your visit to Cumberland Island will be impacted by park closure, please contact the Cumberland Island Ferry office, once the storm has passed, at 877-860-6787 for information on refunds and transfers of ferry reservations. At this time all camping reservations on Cumberland Island will be cancelled through Wednesday, September 20th and re-assessed for continued cancellations after that time. Those impacted by this closure will be issued a full refund of their camping permit fees. if you have questions or concerns about your refund please contact the Recreation.gov customer service line at 1-888-448-1474 or visit the Contact Us page to email your concerns or chat with a customer service representative by visiting: https://support.recreation.gov/rec_contact.

Please monitor our FaceBook pages for up-to-date information about visiting Cumberland Island National Seashore: www.facebook.com/CumberlandIslandNPS/ or Fort Frederica National Monument: www.facebook.com/FortFredericaNPS/ Rip Currents: There is currently a moderate-to-high risk of dangerous rip currents along Cumberland Island National Seashore beaches. A high risk of rip currents will continue throughout the storm period. For more information on rip currents safety go to http://www.ripcurrents.noaa.gov. Weather Updates: Visitors who are planning on visiting the area should closely monitor NOAA weather radio and websites http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php? lat=30.762864006669645&lon=-81.57768914433774#.V_QI8PkrK70 ; local radio, and media for updates and advisories. They should also heed notices issued by County Emergency Management offices, including Camden County, Georgia: http://www.co.camden.ga.us/81/Emergency-Management , City of Jacksonville and Duval County, Florida: http://www.coj.net/departments/fire-and-rescue/emergency- preparedness.aspx, and Glynn County, Georgia: https://glynncounty.org/557/Emergency- Management-Agency

Cumberland Island is the largest barrier island off the coast of Georgia, encompassing more than 36,000 acres of maritime forests, salt marsh and beaches. The island is also home to over 9,800 acres of congressionally designated wilderness. The island’s natural and cultural resources provide a rich and diverse habitat for wildlife and offer a glimpse into the long history of coastal Georgia. The seashore is accessible by pedestrian-only passenger ferry from the historic community of St. Marys.

For other NPS units affected by Hurricane Irma, please visit: https://www.nps.gov/aboutus/news/severe-weather-response.htm