State park takes a beating: Reopening likely six months to a year out
John Guidroz
Hurricane Laura left Sam Houston Jones State Park so severely damaged that officials were forced to close it after the storm’s Aug. 27 landfall. Doris Riser, the park’s manager, said Wednesday that reopening may take at least six months to a year.
“We’re hoping it’s not going to be longer,” said Riser, who took over as manager in July. “It strictly depends on how the process goes in trying to get everything back up and running.”
Riser returned to Sam Houston State Park one day after the Category 4 Hurricane Laura slammed into Southwest Louisiana. The shock of seeing the immediate destruction took days to wear off, she said. The park suffered further damage from Hurricane Delta, a Category 2 storm that made landfall Oct. 9.
Loggers and arborists told Riser that one out of every three trees at the 1,087-acre park will likely be lost. She said Hurricane Laura destroyed many of the park’s longleaf pine trees.
“A lot of them were twisted and brought down because it’s such soft wood,” she said. “Right now we’re trying to get some loggers in place to remove the trees. Once we get the trees removed, we can start cleaning up brush.”
Almost every building at the park suffered damage or was destroyed by Laura, Riser said. The amount of downed trees has made accessing the park’s campsites impossible, she said. Currently, officials are working with the park’s insurance company on repairing the buildings, Riser said.
Before taking the job at Sam Houston State Park, Riser served as assistant manager of Poverty Point Reservoir State Park in Delhi, La., about 40 miles away from Monroe.
“Up north, you don’t see (damage) like this, unless it’s a tornado,” she said. “You just deal with Mother Nature as it comes.”
Riser said the beauty of Sam Houston State Park influenced her to take the job as its manager.
“I visited the park before I made the decision,” she said. “It was gorgeous. The staff is wonderful. Everyone I’ve dealt with, I couldn’t ask for a better group of people.”
Prior to the hurricanes, Riser said Sam Houston State Park averaged 8,000-10,000 visitors a month in July and August.
“We stay busy,” she said. “We have a lot of bicycle riders and people who like to exercise or use the disc golf course.”
Laura and Delta haven’t slowed the public’s demand for the park to reopen, Riser said.
“I know they are ready to come back because I get calls every day,” she said.
Riser said the cost of the combined damages throughout the park has not been determined. She said a contractor is currently working to build new cabins at the park.
“It’s going to be good once we get back up and running,” Riser said. “I think everyone will be pleased once we get through.”
Riser said many residents have asked her if they can volunteer to help clean up the park. However, volunteers won’t be needed until loggers can clear the area of downed and damaged trees.
“(People) love the park and want to get it cleaned up,” she said.
Kirk Meche