ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – A projected hurricane is on a path toward Florida and expected to strengthen into a major hurricane.
The latest update from the National Hurricane Center takes, what could be Hurricane Helene, toward the Gulf Coast of Florida by Thursday as a major hurricane.
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Local impacts will be very dependent on what the official landfall is, so expect forecasts to evolve over the next 48 hours.
Sumter County Schools became the first district to announce it would close for the storm.
Here are the responses from Central Florida school districts ahead of the storm:
Brevard County
“The district will decide on any closures by noon tomorrow.”
Lake County
“Good morning. No updates at this time. We will send a release to local media should we decide to close schools. We will also share the information on our district and school websites and on our social media pages (FB and X).”
Marion County
“We are working with Marion County Emergency Management to monitor predicted stormy weather later this week. We will continue communicating updates as school decisions are made.”
Orange County
“OCPS is continuing to closely monitor Potential Tropical Cyclone 9, which is expected to develop into Hurricane Helene, according to the National Hurricane Center. We will be tracking the system throughout the week and provide updates as they become available.”
Sumter County
“Due to the potential hurricane, Sumter Schools will be closed on Thursday & Friday (Sept. 26-27). Any other school cancelations will be posted on our website, or communicated through our call-out system, school signs and TV/Radio media outlets.”
Volusia County
“Volusia County Schools is closely monitoring the storm and we are working with Volusia County Emergency Management. We will keep everyone informed as we receive updates that may impact our schools.”
Universities and Colleges
College of Central Florida (Marion campus)
The College of Central Florida will close all campuses and sites for Tropical Storm Helene.
Because of the threat of severe weather, particularly in CF’s coastal counties of Citrus and Levy, the college will close all sites, including the Ocala Campus, Wilton Simpson Citrus Campus, Jack Wilkinson Levy Campus, Hampton Center, Appleton Museum and Vintage Farm, as well as online classes. Scheduled activities also have been cancelled.
The Wilton Simpson Citrus Campus and Jack Wilkinson Levy Campus both will close at noon on Wednesday, Sept. 25, to provide time to prepare for the storm. All other CF campuses and sites, including online, will close at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 25, and will remain closed through Friday, Sept. 27.
The Sept. 25 District Board of Trustees meeting will be rescheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 2, at the CF Hampton Center.
The college plans to reopen Saturday morning for all business operations, weather permitting. Please continue to monitor the CF website (www.CF.edu), traditional media and social media for additional updates.
Florida State University
Florida State University announced it will close its Tallahassee campus Wednesday, Sept. 25, through Sunday, Sept. 29. It expects to reopen the following Monday.
Florida A&M University
Florida A&M University said it would close Tuesday at 12:15 p.m. through Friday, Sept. 27, out of an abundance of caution.
“All academic operations will be suspended to accommodate any potential disruptions caused by the storm. All academic deans and faculty members are asked to work closely with students and provide maximum flexibility during this time.
Meteorologist Jonathan Kegges provides the latest information about everything happening in the tropics.
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