Hunting Island State Park – Beaufort County, South Carolina

In early October 2007, a devastating tropical storm passed over Hunting Island State Park, raising tides for several days and washing away several cabins located on the southern end of the island. These cabins had served as prime vacation rentals for many years.

According to Friends of Hunting Island, each year approximately 15 feet of sand wash away from the beach. Hurricane damage from 2004 also drastically affected the shoreline, making Hunting Island one of the most quickly eroding beaches on the East Coast.

South Carolina‘s legislature allocated $5 million to help combat this erosion, and the project to pump sand and place groins (jetties) on the beach was completed in 2006. The pumping was finished just in time for the turtle nesting season, but erosion continues to be an ongoing battle.