Watch: Riverfront Park Reopens Following Flood

Columbia, S.C. (WOLO) — Community members are hitting the trail at Riverfront Park for the first time in months

Two and a half miles of the walking trail between the Broad River and the Columbia Canal is open for the first time since October’s flood.

Columbia Resident Jean Peeler says, “It was a real void in my life. This is by far my favorite site, so I missed it terribly.”

The historic rains washed through causing substantial deterioration to the park and trail.

According to Karen Swankkustafik, Assistant Superintendent for Park Rangers says, “There was quite a bit of damage to the trail all of our paving, there were places where the trail was 12 inches below what it used to be. Power needed to be restored that service was interrupted and it needed to be restored and it wasn’t a simple fix.”

Coordinating park recovery was another challenging task.

Swankkustafik tells ABC Columbia, “This is a linear park so you can’t just drive in and hit anywhere you have to stage your operation. It took awhile to get back on the ground.”

While the majority of the trails have been reopened there are still areas that remain closed and in need of repair due to flood damage

“The canal breach will be repaired in the future but until that point when you come into the park and cross the bridge you can only turn right and not left. At some point in the nearer future we will open the other parking lot at River drive but for now it’s off limits,” says the park ranger.

Despite lingering repairs,park goers say they’ll take what they can get.

Shannon Williams who frequents the park says, “Before the flood happened there were so many people walking and getting the exercise you’d bring your children and your dogs. When it was closed it just seemed so dead here.now that everyone is here it feels like we’re back home again.”