Wilmington-area school districts shift to remote learning as Hurricane Ian threatens severe weather
New Hanover, Brunswick and Pender County Schools will close Friday “out of an abundance of caution” as Hurricane Ian threatens severe weather in the Cape Fear region. The schools will instead conduct remote learning for the day.
No teachers, staff or students should report to school buildings in those districts, according to respective news releases. Teachers will provide students with further information in the coming days on assignments that should be completed remotely Friday.
“Weather can be unpredictable, so we felt it was in the best interest of our stakeholders to be proactive and err on the side of safety,” said Pender County Schools Superintendent Dr. Steven Hill in a news release. “The plan is to return to a normal schedule on Monday, and if that changes for any reason, I have confidence in our staff and in our students to make the adjustments needed.”
Ian is tracking as a Category 4 hurricane and is making landfall along Florida’s west coast as of noon Wednesday. Its outer bands are expected to reach the Wilmington area Thursday, with the most impact to the Cape Fear expected Friday and Saturday.
Winds are expected to pick up in the Cape Fear region Thursday, with gusts up to 25 mph. That is expected to intensify Friday and Saturday, and Wilmington area residents can expect strong winds and several inches of rain, with possible flash flooding and coastal flooding.
More information on what to expect as Hurricane Ian moves up the east coast can be found here.
This story will be updated as more information about school closures become available.
Contact reporter Sydney Hoover at shoover@gannett.com or on Twitter @sydneymhoover. Join the Education Issues in Southeastern North Carolina Facebook group to stay up-to-date on education news.
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Wilmington-area schools to close Friday in response to Hurricane Ian
