Manatee County Schools Make Friday Decision As Hurricane Matthew Approaches

BRADENTON, FL — Manatee County school kids hoping for a long weekend courtesy of Hurricane Matthew are in luck. The school district announced Thursday that classes are canceled on Friday, Oct. 7.

“Manatee County Emergency Management personnel have asked the district to open four schools as shelters – Manatee High School, Mills Elementary, Myakka City Elementary and Nolan Middle School,” the district explained on its Facebook page. The shelters will open at 4 p.m. Thursday. Nolan is a special needs shelter, the district pointed out and Manatee High and Mills are pet friendly.

The county has also canceled extracurricular events, including sporting matches, Thursday and Friday. After-school care programs will be open Thursday until parents can pick up their children as usual, the district said.

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As of the National Hurricane Center’s 11 a.m. Oct. 6 update, Hurricane Matthew was positioned about 180 miles south east of West Palm Beach, Florida. The storm's sustained winds were 140 mph, a significant rise from the 125 mph winds reported earlier in the day.

“Matthew is a Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale,” the hurricane center’s report said. "Some additional strengthening is possible, and Matthew should remain a Category 4 hurricane while it approaches the Florida coast."

Hurricane-force winds extended out up to 60 miles Thursday morning. Tropical-storm force winds extended out 160 miles, forecasters said.

On its current projected path, Matthew could make landfall somewhere along Florida’s east coast as a major hurricane. While the storm's outer bands were arriving near Florida Thursday morning, forecasters do not expect it to clear the Sunshine State until Friday afternoon or evening.

The storm’s possible track shifted to the east, but much of the Sunshine State remained under a hurricane warning. In the Tampa Bay area and along most of the west coast, a tropical storm watch is in place. A warning means conditions are likely within a designated area, generally within 48 hours. A watch means conditions are possible within a designated area. Tropical storm warnings had also gone up in from the Anclote River to the Suwanee River.

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