Ida Damages Gulf State Park Pier

When engineers rebuilt and re-opened the pier at Gulf State Park this summer, they touted it as "hurricane proof"...able to withstand a category 3 hurricane. But Mother Nature had other ideas when Tropical Storm Ida made landfall. The storm damaged the pier, blowing away dozens of 300 pound wooden deck panels. Railings and the pier's plumbing system were also damaged.

"It's frustrating," says Gulf State Park Asst. Supt. Trey Myers. "Especially to have a storm this late in the season. 20 foot waves crashed into the pier, totally engulfing it."

The wall of water tossed around the wooden deck panels like toys. Park officials closed the pier. It could be two or three weeks before the structure re-opens.

Ida wasn't a problem for much of the Gulf Coast, but don't tell that to park officials who still can't believe another storm damaged the pier. Hurricane Ivan wiped out the structure years ago.