6 p.m. update Sept. 26, 2024
INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — Classes at local public schools will resume Friday as Hurricane Helene was expected to travel north and not cause major damage on the Treasure Coast, School District officials said.
“Based on the current track of Hurricane Helene and the low impact on our area, we will be able to safely open schools tomorrow,” school officials said Thursday evening.
The School District buildings will also reopen on Friday, and school bus transportation will resume normal operations.
“All employees and students should report at their normally scheduled times,” School District officials said.
Earlier story from Wednesday:
INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — Public schools and School District offices will close Thursday in efforts to protect students, families, staff and school buses from possible damaging winds expected from Hurricane Helene. Indian River State College will also be closed.
School District officials said all after school activities, except Extended Day, will be canceled Wednesday afternoon as heavy rain and wind gusts were forecast to swoop through the Treasure Coast in the evening.
“Barring any unforeseen circumstances, schools will be open and normal district operations will resume on Friday,” School District officials said in a statement. “Since this is a one-day closure, no make-up day will be scheduled.”
Meteorologists said the hurricane was forecast to bring large waves, minor erosion and 1-to-4 inches of rainfall to the Treasure Coast.
Helene, swirling across the Gulf Coast, strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane at 11 a.m. Wednesday. The storm was traveling north northwest at 10 mph with 80 mph maximum sustained winds, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Helene was expected to strengthen into a high Category 3 storm – a major hurricane – when it makes landfall Thursday evening near the eastern Florida panhandle, said Cassie Leahy, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Melbourne.
“The storm will be exceptionally large and conditions will deteriorate this evening into tomorrow. Even though the storm is coming from the Gulf, the wind field will stretch across the state,” Leahy said. “Impacts will be felt well outside of the forecast cone. Any plans people have should be done by this afternoon.”
Meteorologists said Helene will drift north northwest after landfall and weaken before it reaches Tennessee. Helene is the 8th named storm for this hurricane season, Leahy said.
A tropical storm warning remains in effect for Indian River County. The warnings are issued when tropical storm conditions – including winds up to 73 mph – are expected in a specified coastal area within 36 hours or less, according to the National Weather Service.
Wednesday will have a 70 percent chance of rain with wind gusts as high as 30 mph. Thursday, when tropical storm-like conditions will sweep the area, will have an 80 percent chance of showers with gusts as high as 45 mph, meteorologists said.
Friday will have a 60 percent chance of storms with gusts as high as 35 mph.