On Tuesday, Oct. 8, Broward County Public Schools announced that all schools and district offices will be closed on Wednesday, Oct. 9 and Thursday, Oct. 10 due to “uncertainty” surrounding Hurricane Milton’s forecast. Hurricane Milton is a severe and life-threatening Category 4 Hurricane that developed in the Gulf of Mexico.
After school activities were canceled on Tuesday, Oct. 8 in order to prepare schools to be used as shelters.
The forecasted track of the hurricane is rapidly changing, though current projections show it making landfall near Tampa, Florida, causing potentially catastrophic storm surge of up to 15 feet in a region recently destroyed by Hurricane Helene. However, the cone of uncertainty goes out 100 miles in both directions, meaning the track could make landfall as far south as Fort Myers Beach.
If the track does ultimately skew south, South Florida could see hurricane-force winds and heavy rainfall. Local meteorologists have likened the storm track to 2005’s Hurricane Wilma, which caused about 20 billion dollars worth of damage in South Florida, which saw the eye of the storm.
The storm is expected to weaken before making landfall by meeting shear coming from parts of the northern United States. BCPS anticipates reopening on Friday, Oct. 11 but will likely make a decision on Thursday, Oct. 10 and announce in on their website and on X, formerly known as Twitter.
