Pinellas County School Closings Announced Ahead of Tropical Storm Hermine

LARGO, FL — Pinellas County school kids will get a day off courtesy of the anticipated arrival of Tropical Storm Hermine.

The school district announced Wednesday that all campuses and district offices will be closed on Thursday, Sept. 1. The closing impacts all school-related activities.

Pinellas County has also canceled all after-school activities for Wednesday, Aug. 31. After-school programs at sites, such as local YMCAs and R’Club, will remain open, the county said.

A decision on whether schools will open Friday, Sept. 2 will be made at a later time.

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.

A tropical storm watch was issued at 11 a.m. for Marineland, Florida, to Altamaha Sound, Georgia, on the east coast.

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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