Thomas Worthington High School closed Thursday due to flooding, but expected to reopen

Thomas Worthington High School is closed due to flooding in its basement classrooms, Worthington Schools announced Thursday morning.

The high school is one of the district’s oldest buildings and is currently under construction, said district spokesperson Don Taylor.

Track today's storms: Flood watch in effect, followed by heat advisory Thursday in Ohio

“Flooding is not abnormal, but because of the construction, we’re kind of limited to where we can move the kids,” Taylor said.

The district is currently working on cleanup with the goal of reopening the school for Friday classes. Updates will be communicated to families in the district later today, Taylor said. Though the potential remains for flooding closures to continue into tomorrow, he said the district doesn’t anticipate this happening. Even if the school remains closed on Friday, things should be back to normal by Monday at the latest.

In recent years, heavy rains and extreme weather have occasionally caused flooding along the Olentangy River near Worthington, leading to a handful of city flood warnings and school closures. The city has also had periodic problems with its drainage system in the Olentangy River and surrounding waterways.

However, Taylor said the construction at Thomas Worthington will ensure that the building is fully modernized and able to withstand any extreme weather to come.

LCarey@Dispatch.com

@LilyLCarey

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Thomas Worthington High School closed Thursday due to flooding