York County schools go virtual Friday as Ian is expected to make second landfall in SC
All four school districts in York County are the latest to switch to virtual learning on Friday due to expected impacts from Hurricane Ian.
On Wednesday, the Lancaster County School District announced it would transition to online learning Friday due to high wind and weather threats associated with the category 4 hurricane that hit Florida earlier in the day.
And the Fort Mill School District sent a similar message to parents Thursday afternoon.
The announcement read:
“Current forecasts for Hurricane Ian indicate that our area may experience severe weather and high winds tomorrow afternoon that could cause unsafe traveling conditions for buses and car riders. Based on this information, all schools will transition to eLearning for Friday, September 30, and all schools and district facilities will be closed tomorrow.”
Friday was set to be the first early release day, a new setup where select Fridays throughout the school year class lets out early to give teachers additional planning time at school.
Shortly after, the Rock Hill School District and Clover School District announced it would keep students home Friday for virtual learning.
“Current forecasts for Hurricane Ian indicate that our area may experience severe weather including high winds tomorrow that could cause unsafe traveling conditions for buses and cars,” the Clover School District said in a statement.
And York School District 1 said on Facebook, out of abundance of caution, it’s shifting to an eLearning day on Friday. The district also canceled all its after school activities and sporting events on Friday and Saturday.
Around 11 a.m., the National Hurricane Center issued a hurricane warning for portions of the South Carolina coast. Forecasters now believe Ian, which is now a tropical storm, will make a second landfall near Charleston as a category one hurricane on Friday, the South Carolina Emergency Management Division said.
The storm is expected to bring strong winds and heavy rain to the Rock Hill area, according to the National Weather Service. At 8 a.m. Thursday, a rainfall prediction map from the NWS showed the Rock Hill area will get 4-6 inches.
Around noon, a tropical storm warning was issued for the region through Saturday morning, according a NWS alert.
NWS officials advised residents to routinely check local weather outlets for updated storm forecasts.
This is a developing story. Check back for more.
This story was originally published September 29, 2022 at 12:59 PM.
