Highlands, Hardee County schools closed Tuesday due to flooding
Courtesy: Highlands County Emergency Management
TAMPA, Fla. - Schools in Highlands and Hardee counties will be closed Tuesday as heavy rainfall and flooding affect parts of Central Florida.
Florida school closures
The backstory:
The School Board of Highlands County announced that all schools will be closed Tuesday because heavy rainfall has made several roads and bridges impassable, while multiple neighborhoods are experiencing power outages.
The closure also includes classes held at South Florida State College and Highlands Virtual School, the district said.
District teams will assess bus routes Tuesday to determine whether roads are safe for transportation to resume. School officials also are coordinating with Highlands County Emergency Management and local authorities.
The district said it will share additional updates with families through text messages, its Facebook page, app and website.
Hardee County schools also will be closed Tuesday, according to the Hardee County School District. The district said schools are expected to resume normal operations Wednesday, unless families are notified otherwise.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: DeSoto County schools closed due to flooding
Images from Arcadia in DeSoto County show flooding has gotten severe. Schools will be closed Tuesday and Wednesday and the sheriff's office is helping rescue people stranded in homes and businesses. FOX 13's Kimberly Kuizon reports.
DeSoto County announced on Monday that public schools will be closed Tuesday and Wednesday because of major flooding on roads throughout the county, according to the DeSoto County School District.
PREVIOUS: DeSoto County closes public schools for two days due to road flooding
The closure applies to all schools and district offices. All after-school activities, athletics and extracurricular events scheduled for both days also have been canceled, according to the DeSoto County School District.
Storm impact
Dig deeper:
The DeSoto County Sheriff's Office reported flooding in several areas, including NE Washington and NE Turner, Highway 17 and NE Turner, the southbound lane near the Brownsville Dollar General and Jerry's RV Park.
Courtesy: DeSoto County Sheriff's Office.
Although rainfall had stopped, flooding could continue to rise, the sheriff's office said. Deputies are advising residents not to drive through flooded roads.
Next steps for reopening
What's next:
The DeSoto County School District said it expects to make a decision Wednesday about whether schools will reopen Thursday.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from announcements by the School Board of Highlands County, the Hardee County School District and the DeSoto County School District, as well as road safety alerts from the DeSoto County Sheriff's Office.