Tampa Bay area school closures due to Helene

TAMPA, Fla. — As a tropical disturbance is set to rapidly intensify in the Gulf of Mexico, school districts in the Tampa Bay area are beginning to announce the cancellation of classes due to forecast impacts.

Hillsborough County

Hillsborough County Public Schools will close all schools Wednesday and Thursday, September 25 and 26, in anticipation of the storm. In addition, all after-school programs, athletics, and extracurricular activities are canceled for this Wednesday and Thursday. No decision about Friday has been made at this time.

Pasco County

In a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, the school system said: “All Pasco County schools are open on Wednesday, September 24. All after-school activities and events are canceled to prepare for the storm and shelter setup. All Pasco County schools and offices will be closed on Thursday, September 25.”

Hernando County

The Hernando County School District was the first to announce closures Monday night, stating in a Facebook post:

“Hernando Schools will close schools and district offices Wednesday and Thursday of this week. All afterschool activities for Wednesday and Thursday will be cancelled. Before and aftercare programs (YMCA and Boys & Girls Club) will not operate on those days.

After we know more about the storm’s potential impact to our community, we will make a determination as to reopening schools on Friday.”

Pinellas County

The school system posted the following on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter: “All PCS and offices will be CLOSED on Wednesday, September 25 through Thursday, September 26. All sports and school activities scheduled for Wednesday, September 25, through Thursday, September 26, are canceled. Sports and activities are scheduled for today as planned.”

Citrus County

Citrus County Schools announced Tuesday that schools will be closed on Thursday, Sept. 26 and Friday, Sept. 27.

The school district said some of its schools will be used as hurricane shelters, and in preparation of the storm, all of its schools will be closed after its scheduled half-day on Wednesday, Sept. 25.

After-school programs and extra-curricular activities are cancelled Sept. 25 – 27. The YMCA before and after-school programs will follow this schedule as well. 

Manatee County

Manatee County Schools will be closed Wednesday, Sept. 25 and Thursday, Sept. 26. All school activities, including athletics, are cancelled for Wednesday and Thursday. 

A decision regarding Friday will not be made until after the storm passes, shelter operations conclude and teams have had an opportunity to assess the condition of district campuses, the school district said. Get the latest from Manatee County Schools.

Polk County

In a statement, the school system said: “As the storm progresses, we anticipate that Polk County will begin experiencing rain bands and winds between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Wednesday evening. The current forecast indicates that our county may face tropical storm conditions from Thursday morning through 2 a.m. on Friday.

“As a precaution, we have made the decision to close all PCPS schools and offices on Thursday, Sept. 26, and Friday, Sept. 27.

“This decision is driven by our commitment to the safety of our students and staff. The uncertainty surrounding the storm’s trajectory necessitates that we allow our teams adequate time to assess the condition of our campuses and facilities, ensuring they are safe for reopening.

“We plan to resume normal operations on Monday, Sept. 30.”

To read the entire statement, click here.

COLLEGES

Florida State University

Florida State University’s Tallahassee campus will close on Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024, due to Tropical Storm Helene, which is projected to be upgraded to hurricane by tomorrow.

The closure begins at 7 a.m. ET Wednesday, Sept. 25, and will continue until 11 p.m. ET Sunday, Sept. 29. The university expects to resume normal business operations at 12:00 a.m. Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. The Marine Lab at Turkey Point will also be closed on these dates. If changes to operations are needed at other campus locations, targeted communications will follow.

University of South Florida

The University of South Florida is continuing to closely monitor Tropical Storm Helene. Based on the latest weather information, the university today announced that all classes are canceled beginning on Wednesday, Sept. 25, and will not resume until Monday, Sept. 30.   

In addition, all USF campuses will be closed beginning on Wednesday, Sept. 25 and will remain closed through at least Friday, Sept. 27.  As of now, the university expects to reopen campuses and return to normal business operations (without classes) on Saturday, Sept. 28. A final decision on the operating status for Saturday, Sept. 28, will be shared with the university community on Friday, Sept. 27.  

Residence halls on the Tampa and Sarasota-Manatee campuses remain open. Residence halls in St. Petersburg will close beginning on Wednesday, Sept. 25. USF St. Petersburg residential students without a place to stay will be transported to the Tampa campus. 

USF Health clinical facilities will be open on Wednesday, Sept. 25 and will be closed on Thursday, Sept. 26. A decision about Friday, Sept. 27, has not been made at this time. USF Health patients may call the USF Health appointments hotline at 813-821-8038 to reschedule. 

Students, faculty and staff are urged to plan carefully, follow local weather reports and monitor updates from county and state emergency management officials.

Florida A&M University 

Florida A&M University (FAMU) says: “Out of an abundance of caution, classes will be canceled beginning today at 12:15 p.m. through Friday, Sept. 27. 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.”

FAMU Athletics announced Tuesday that the football team’s upcoming game against Alabama A&M, initially scheduled for this weekend, has been rescheduled due to the impending arrival of Hurricane Helene. The game will occur on Friday, November 29, at Ken Riley Field at Bragg Memorial Stadium.

Hillsborough Community College

HCC announced its campuses will be closing at noon on Wednesday, Sept. 25 and Thursday, Sept. 26. All afternoon and evening classes are cancelled.
 

University of Tampa

University of Tampa officials announced Tuesday that all school activities, events, non-essential operations and classes will be cancelled from Wednesday, Sept. 25 through Friday, Sept. 27. Limited activities and services will be available beginning Saturday, Sept. 28 with the expectation of resuming full campus operations on Monday, Sept. 30, officials said.

This story will be updated with any other announcements from other school districts or colleges.