Tropical Storm Hermine: Pasco County Cancels Classes

LAND O’ LAKES, FL — Pasco County school kids hoping for a day off from the books courtesy of Tropical Storm Hermine are in luck. The school district has announced that schools are closed on Thursday, Aug. 1.

The district also that all after-school activities are canceled for Wednesday, Aug. 31. The PLACE program, however, will be open Wednesday afternoon, the district noted.

The county said the decision to close schools on Thursday is due to the predicting arrival time of tropical storm winds, which are expected to coincide with elementary dismissal times. The county said it is expecting sustained winds of 30 mph and gusts of about 45 mph.

“We cannot have buses on the road if winds exceed 40 MPH. More importantly, we would rather err on the side of caution than take chances with children’s lives,” Superintendent Kurt Browning said in a statement.

The district anticipated school will be in session on Friday. Employees and parents will be notified by phone of any decision to close or open on Friday.

As of Wednesday at 2 p.m., Tropical Storm Hermine was located about 395 miles south-southwest of Apalachicola. It was packing maximum sustained winds of 40 mph and was moving north at 2 mph.

On its present course, Hermine is expected to make landfall along Florida’s Gulf Coast on Thursday afternoon before crossing the state and heading into the southern portion of Georgia and onto South Carolina. Forecasters warned in the 2 p.m. update the storm "could be near hurricane strength by the time landfall occurs."

See also: Tropical Storm Hermine Forms Off Florida's Gulf Coast; Could Reach 'Near-Hurricane' Strength

In advance of the storm, the National Weather Service has issued a hurricane watch for the Anclote River area to the Walton/Bay County line. A watch means hurricane conditions are possible within 48 hours in the watch area. A tropical storm warning has also been issued for the same area. A warning means conditions are expected to arrive within 36 hours.

Forecasters at the National Weather Service’s Ruskin office are warning Tampa Bay area residents to brace for severe weather over the next few days. In addition to heavy rain, tornadoes and storm surge also pose threats.

The entire Tampa Bay area is under a flood watch starting at 2 p.m. Wednesday and continuing through until Friday night. Sarasota, Bradenton, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Brandon and New Port Richey are among the communities included in the flood watch.

To find out more about hurricane season and storm preparation in the Tampa Bay area, read these related Patch stories:

• Hurricane Season 2016: Where To Find Local Information
• 2016 Atlantic Hurricane Season Forecast Released
• Hurricane Season: How to Prepare
• 2016 Hurricane Names: Is Yours On the List?
• Tampa Bay 'Ripe for Disaster,' Hurricane Experts Say

To keep up with storm activity as the season develops, bookmark the National Hurricane Center’s website and keep an eye on your hometown Patch site for local information.

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