Area schools closed due to potential for high winds from Irma

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School Update – All five Anderson school districts and Greenville County Schools announced Monday evening that they will remain closed on Tuesday due to power outages and numerous trees blocking roadways.
Greenville County Schools and offices announced that they will remain closed on Tuesday and all after-school activities are cancelled. Due to high winds, repair crews were expected to be unable to restore power, clear secondary roadways, and ensure working traffic signals across Greenville county before the start of school, even under a two-hour delay.
As of 5 p.m. Monday, Greenville County School had eight confirmed GCS sites without power, and security alarms indicated power outages at numerous other facilities.

Anderson One, Two, Three, Four and Five will be closed on Monday.
In light of the current Hurricane Irma tracking and high wind and rain potential for the area, ALL Anderson County schools will be closed on Monday, September 11.  Forecasts predict sustained winds of 40-45 MPH with gusts up to 50-55 MPH. High winds along with heavy rain prevents safe bus transportation along with the possibility of power outages, District One officials said Sunday. School district officials will continue to monitor the weather conditions and will make a decision about Tuesday’s schedule by late Monday afternoon.

Going into the weekend, school district officials were in regular contact with emergency management on updates with information on Hurricane Irma and its potential track in the upstate. A scheduled conference call with safety officials was held on Sunday afternoon to provide the most updated information on the hurricane and leading to the final decision about school closings.

As additional information becomes available the district will share with families through Blackboard Connect (phone calls, email, texts),on the District One website (www.anderson1.k12.sc.us) and follow them on Facebook (Anderson District One).  “We continue to urge families to prepare for the potential impact of the storm,” said Anderson School District One Assistant Superintendent Jane Harrison.
Greenville County Schools
Greenville County Schools are also closed today (Monday). Greenville County School District officials said they will continue to monitor weather conditions and forecasts before making a final decision about Tuesday’s schedule.
“We will consider whether high winds and excessive rainfall on Monday cause downed trees and lead to widespread power outages. We will also investigate whether road debris creates a travel hazard for students and staff,” school officials said in a new statement sent out by Elizabeth Brotherton.
Sustained winds in excess of 30 miles per hour exceed limit for the safe operation of school buses and other high profile vehicles. The strongest winds are expected Monday afternoon and into the overnight hours on Tuesday.
“As part of our emergency response plan every school has an individual from either our maintenance or facilities departments assigned to do a safety check in these circumstances, just as we do for snow and ice. This not only provides information on the state of our buildings and grounds, but also provides feedback on roads county-wide. We receive additional information on road conditions from law enforcement and emergency response personnel,” the release said.
“Safety is first and foremost. A decision will be made in a timely manner and communicated through social and traditional media.”
Greenville County Schools officials announced late Monday afternoon that they are delaying a decision regarding possible school closures or delays on Tuesday until approximately 6 p.m. this evening.  A statement emailed Monday said, “While we want to ensure the safety of students and employees and give families time to plan, we do not want to miss school and inconvenience families unnecessarily.  With revisions still being made to the forecast, we believe delaying this decision until late this afternoon will provide more valid information about the storm’s expected impact in our area. Given that the wind advisory for our area extends to 4 a.m. tomorrow, families should prepare for any possible scenario on Tuesday, including regular schedule, a delay, or closure.”