Moores Creek National Battlefield in Pender County closed due to flooding from Debby

Photos from a national park in western Pender County reveal the ongoing impacts of Tropical Storm Debby − wooden boardwalks completely submerged in water, roadways rendered inaccessible to vehicles, and grasslands transformed into what now resembles large ponds.

The Moores Creek National Battlefield initially planned to close through Friday in preparation for the tropical storm, according to a Facebook post from the park on Monday. Heavy rain has historically led to flooding along the rural roads surrounding the park.

The closure, however, has now been extended until further notice.

On Thursday, an updated post from the national park detailed that all trails, boardwalks, and bridges were completely impassable as a result of the flooding, noting that Moores Creek was projected to continue rising throughout the weekend.

According to a river gauge north on the nearby Black River north of the park, the river was predicted to crest at nearly 22 feet early Monday morning. Flood stage is 18 feet, and the river was at 8 feet before Debby's rains started.

More: PHOTOS: Road flooding in the Wilmington area due to Tropical Storm Debby

"The Moores Creek itself has risen pretty much risen over what we know as the battlefield," Steven Roberts, education technician with the park, said Saturday morning. Though most of the park's trails are underwater, staff does not anticipate significant lasting damage once the water recedes.

While the flooding has led to the temporary closure of the national battlefield due to public safety concerns, it is "less than what (the park) saw in Florence," Roberts said. Hurricane Florence dropped more than 2 feet of rain on parts of Eastern N.C. back in 2018.

A large savanna, which in previous storms has been completely inundated with water, is only about half covered, Roberts said. Park staff do not expect the flooding to reach Patriot's Hall, the battlefield's community center.

Although the location of the battlefield limits its ability to mitigate recurrent flooding, Robert said a few adjustments are planned for the future to better prepare for similar weather conditions.

"Our living history displays are on the lower level and ... next year in 2025, we are going to move all those positions up here on the higher ground," he said. This way, staff won't have to worry about that particular area of the park flooding after heavy rainfall.

A reassessment of park conditions will be conducted on Monday, when the Black River is expected to crest, according to an updated Facebook post from the park.

"Our guess is (the park) will be opening up probably towards the middle (or) end of next week," Roberts said.

Updates on the operational status of the park can be found on the Moores Creek National Battlefield website or the park's Facebook page.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Moores Creek National Battlefield flooded by Tropical Storm Debby