Gov. Scott closes all Florida public schools, offices

Governor Rick Scott directed all public K-12 schools, state colleges, state universities and state offices to close Friday, September 8 through Monday, September 11.

The announcement came Thursday evening, just after Hurricane Irma's track shifted slightly west, putting its track up the middle of the state. 

Governor Scott said, "Today, I am directing the closure of all public schools, state colleges, state universities and state offices for their normal activities effective Friday through Monday, to ensure we have every space available for sheltering and staging. Floridians are facing a life-threatening storm in Hurricane Irma, and every family must prepare to evacuate. Our state's public schools serve a vital role in our communities as shelters for displaced residents and staging areas for hurricane recovery efforts. Closing public schools, state colleges, state universities and state offices will provide local and state emergency officials the flexibility necessary to support shelter and emergency response efforts." 

For detailed shelter information, visit www.fldoe.org/irma and www.floridadisaster.org/info.

MORE HURRICANE INFORMATION:

-Tampa Bay Area sandbag information

-Track Hurricane Irma

-Report Price Gouging to the price gouging hotline

-BE PREPARED: Printable Hurricane supply list from MyFOXHurricane.com

-Make sure your home is hurricane ready

-Flood risk and insurance information

-Florida flood zones and evacuation maps

-For a FEMA emergency supply checklist click here.

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