BRUNSWICK COUNTY — Brunswick County Schools will close its campuses on Friday due to the anticipated impact of an approaching storm.
READ MORE: BC Schools seeks state’s help after storm impacts, 69 teachers slept at district facilities
Hurricane Helene is expected to make landfall in Florida on Thursday and trek north, northwest, with heavy rains slated for the western portion of the state. The National Weather Service Wilmington said local towns may see up to 2 inches of rainfall, though it could change depending on the storm’s trajectory.
Helene is slated to pick up speed into a category 3 by landfall; it’s a large storm with outer bands of rain that could affect outward to the North Carolina coast as it crosses Georgia and Tennessee.
The Brunswick County Schools district decided to close Sept. 27, due to the threat of inclement weather as many of its rural towns are already saturated by upward of 20 inches of rain that fell last Monday. An unnamed storm brought historic flooding to the area and collapsed many roads in Brunswick County, leaving people stranded and sheltering in place due to traffic congestion and waters rising.
Officials were unprepared by the deluge of rainfall from potential tropical cyclone eight; the NWS only called for up to 8 inches of rain.
The district received criticism for its handling of PTC8, as it released students from school that day but staff had an optional workday without remote options offered. Thus 69 employees were stranded overnight at district facilities.
While the plan was to operate all 20 schools remotely for students and staff until the end of this week, district spokesperson Gordon Burnette announced on Monday, Sept. 23, that 14 schools would open for in-person instruction for the remainder of the week.
Now the district has changed course again in light of Helene.
All schools will be closed and all sporting events postponed, in the event the hurricane changes any direction and could impact the tri-county region late Thursday into Friday.
Burnette stated Wednesday staff members will have the option to work from home — provided they submit a work log — come into the office, or take appropriate leave.
According to the release, emails have been sent out to notify everyone.
An Oct. 21 teacher workday has also become an instructional day.
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