Severe hurricane makes landfall on the US Gulf Coast
A tropical rainstorm is brewing in the Caribbean and will develop into a major hurricane by the end of the week and threaten the U.S. Gulf Coast.
Leon Schools Superintendent Rocky Hanna indicated that schools could be closed as early as Wednesday as potential Tropical Cyclone Nine rapidly approaches and is expected to become Category 3 Hurricane Helene.
Although the track continues to change, the storm is expected to make landfall south of Tallahassee in Florida’s Panhandle region on Thursday evening.
During a school board review meeting on Monday, Hanna updated board members on details from a brief meeting with the National Weather Service and Emergency Management.
“The tone of the conversation was that this needs to be taken seriously,” Hanna said of the meeting with the NWS and emergency management.
On Tuesday at 10:30 a.m., the district will meet with emergency management to discuss the possibility of school closures. They will then meet with school principals at 12:00 p.m.
“We all see where things are going and we are all really worried. We are preparing for the worst and of course hoping for the best, but it is still very early,” Hanna told board members.
The storm is expected to make landfall Thursday, but the district may close schools Wednesday to prepare to convert the schools into shelters. If schools remain closed Wednesday through Friday, the district will have to add additional days at the end of the school year or semester to meet the state’s requirement of instructional days.
The district is expected to provide an update on whether and when schools will be closed this week by 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
Other districts have already pulled the trigger and canceled classes.
Franklin County School Superintendent Steve Lanier announced on Facebook that the district would close schools on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
“Due to the approaching storm in the Gulf of Mexico and the increasing likelihood of significant impacts to Franklin County, we are taking precautionary measures to ensure the safety of our students, staff and families,” he wrote.
Hernando County schools and district offices will also be closed Wednesday and Thursday.
Alaijah Brown covers children and families for the Tallahassee Democrat. You can reach her at [email protected]Follow her on Twitter/X: @AlaijahBrown3.
