CCN Beacon
Photo Album:

Sunday in the Park:
The devastation of Point Pleasant Park
caused by Hurricane Juan
by
Andrew D. Wright
Beacon Correspondent

Photo: Traffic jam

The city has announced that Point Pleasant Park has lost 70% of its trees and that as a result of the damage it will be closed indefinitely. To allow the public to see the damage, for two days only, Saturday October 18 and Sunday October 19, 2003, just the shore road would be opened for view. This is the traffic jam on Young Avenue leading into Point Pleasant Park Sunday afternoon.

Photo: Entrance closed

One of the regular park entrances, like most of the roads inside the park, blocked by fallen trees and debris. Removal of any plant debris from the park is forbidden due to fears of spreading the brown spruce longhorn beetle, a parasite which has apparently made a home in some of the park's trees.

Photo: Crowds entering the park

Thousands of people were streaming into Point Pleasant Park for a look; young, old, people on crutches, people in wheelchairs. They navigated their way down a muddy sidewalk overhung by broken branches.

Photo: Park parking lot

The lower parking lot piled high with debris from the downed trees. To the left is a two storey high pile of tree trunks, straight ahead is a two story high pile of smaller brush and to the right is a pile of wood chips.

Photo: Pile of wood chips

Part of the pile of woodchips. This photo is showing maybe 20% of the pile, which is smoking from the heat produced by composting.

Photo: More tree trunks

To reach the shore road you must first pass yet another pile of tree trunks.

Photo: Black Rock Beach

The public is forbidden from walking on the shoreline. Black Rock Beach is still covered in debris from the destroyed boardwalk.

Photo: Shore road

Crowds filled the shore road despite the uneven footing. When Hurricane Juan hit, the tide was at its highest and this was all underwater. Much of the gravel has been washed away, there are piles of stones, seaweed and even bumper tires ripped from wharves washed up by the waves.

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