[August 29, 2011] Folly Beach park will stay closed Tweet Aug 29, 2011 (The Post and Courier - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Folly Beach County Park will remain closed at least through today, and possibly longer, as officials evaluate the damage from Hurricane Irene. 'Our No. 1 priority is the safety of our visitors,' Park Manager Eric Stewart said Sunday. The main concern is erosion under the boardwalks. Some of the electrical wiring around the concession stand also was exposed, so power was cut off until repairs are made. Officials also cut off water to the showers. A meeting is planned for today to look closer at the damage and see what needs to be done, Stewart said. The park has been closed since Friday. It's losing thousands of dollars a day from parking fees ($7 a car, more for RVs and buses) and concession sales, although Stewart had no estimate how much. 'We will open it again as soon as we deem it safe,' he said. 'Safety is our top priority.' A steady stream of drivers pulled up to the gate Sunday afternoon, read the sign saying the park was closed, and drove away. Former Mayor Carl Beckman Jr. stopped by for a minute to see how things were going. 'We got a lot of damage here,' he said. 'If this (hurricane) had hit us, it would have cleaned our clock.' A family staying in the oceanfront house next to the park's entrance gate recalled standing outside Friday night and watching as the waves from Irene ate away the beach, bringing the ocean closer and closer to the house. 'We figure it took about 20 feet of sand,' said Lee Mosedale, who lives near Boise, Idaho. 'The wind wasn't that bad, but the erosion was amazing. We've been coming here for 20 years, and we have never seen it this bad.' The erosion also shut down several houses on the east end of Folly Beach. They were blocked off with yellow police tape Sunday afternoon. Irene continued to disrupt the schedule at the Charleston International Airport on Sunday. From 25 to 30 flights between Charleston and New York, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., were canceled Sunday, according to the information desk. Travelers are advised to check with their airline to see what flights are affected today. The local chapter of the Red Cross put out an appeal for help Sunday. The agency is lining up volunteers and supplies to help thousands of people along the East Coast left without power, food or shelter because of the storm. 'I ask that Lowcountry residents be concerned about our neighbors to the north,' said Louise Welch Williams, chief executive officer of the Charleston chapter, who has been in Richmond, Va., throughout the storm. 'In Virginia, the Red Cross is focused on providing mobile feeding, as there is no access to food or water for people in remote locations.' Reach Dave Munday at 937-5553. ___ (c)2011 The Post and Courier (Charleston, S.C.) Visit The Post and Courier (Charleston, S.C.) at www.postandcourier.com Distributed by MCT Information Services [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]