Florida Keys public schools will be closed Thursday due to Hurricane Milton.luckywin
School Superintendent Theresa Axford, at a Wednesday emergency management meeting, cited wind speeds as the reason schools will remain shut down.
The district closed schools on Wednesday ahead of Milton. While the Keys are not expected to take a major hit, forecasters are calling for high winds, heavy rain and coastal flooding.
Monroe County is one of several counties in the state — including Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach — under a tornado watch on Wednesday until 9 p.m.
READ MORE: Parts of Florida under tornado watch as Hurricane Milton approaches. Here’s where
The National Weather Service issued a tropical storm warning for the entire island chain Monday night, meaning sustained winds of up to 39 mph are expected soon. Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties were also under a tropical storm warning, which means winds from 39 to 57 mph.
READ MORE: South Florida under Tropical Storm Warning as Milton nears Gulf Coast, winds to pick up
Sustained winds are also likely to be accompanied by thundery squalls between 55 and 65 mph through Thursday morning, forecasters said.
READ MORE: Will Hurricane Milton cause school closures in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach?
Saltwater surges in KeysForecasters also issued a coastal flood warning, meaning saltwater surges are anticipated over the same time period.
READ MORE: Cat 5 Milton explodes as winds hit 180 mph. Much of Florida Gulf Coast evacuating
Jonathan Rizzo, warning coordination meteorologist for National Weather Service Key West, said to expect saltwater flooding between 1 to 3 feet above ground from the Gulf of Mexico and Florida Bay in low areas into Thursday.
On the Atlantic side of the Keys, this means the shore will be susceptible to crashing waves and shore wash that could lead to neighborhood flooding, forecasters said.
Heavy rainfall through Thursday could bring accumulations of between 4 to 7 inches, the Weather Service said.
Hurricane Watch for Dry TortugasWhile the eye of Milton is expected to stay far away from the Keys, the National Weather Service has issued a hurricane watch for the Dry Tortugas, a group of islands located about 70 miles west of Key West. A hurricane watch means hurricane conditions, including sustained winds of 74 mph or higher, are possible.
Even as the storm passes the Keys, surge is expected to be an issue into Thursday for the Middle and Upper Keys, said County Administrator Christine Hurley.
Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsay said that his department’s offices are closed Wednesday, but deputies will be patrolling.
The county’s Trauma Star helicopter ambulance service is expected to operate throughout the storm, “as long as the weather allows us too,” Ramsay said. That said, the service’s helicopter in Key West will move to the Middle Keys city of Marathon on Wednesday, he said.
Regular county operations will be closed Wednesday, said Hurley.
Officials also said that all state parks in the Keys are closed and the island chain’s only drawbridge, Snake Creek Bridge in Islamorada, is locked in the down position.
Key West is suspending its transit services for Wednesday and Thursday, said city spokeswoman Alyson Crean.
City Hall are closed Wednesday, but emergency services will be operating, Crean said.
They city is also providing sand for people to fill sand bags at Boog Powell Court in Old Town, she said.
“Members of the community concerned about possible flooding are urged to help themselves, but you’ll need to provide your own bags,” Crean said. “Shovels are at the sites, but you must fill your own bags.”
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
This story was originally published October 8, 2024luckywin, 10:41 AM.
