District extends Manatee County school closures as Hurricane Milton weather approaches
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Hurricane Milton
Hurricane Milton is expected to have major impacts on Florida’s Gulf Coast, including the Tampa and Bradenton areas. See our latest coverage here.
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As Hurricane Milton approaches, Manatee County school district officials have announced that schools will remain closed through Friday.
Sports and other extra-curricular activities are also canceled through Friday, district officials said.
“Our thoughts are with the entire community as we endure this storm together,” the district said in a statement Tuesday afternoon. “We look forward to welcoming our students, families and staff back into our schools and classrooms soon.”
The county will use 10 public schools as shelters for residents with nowhere else to go. Schools are built to withstand Category 5 storms, a county official said.
As of 5 p.m. Tuesday, there are 3,502 people at general population shelters and 148 people at a special needs shelter, a county official said.
The latest Milton forecast from the National Hurricane Center has the powerful storm making landfall near Manatee County around 2 a.m. Thursday morning.
This story was originally published October 8, 2024 at 6:32 PM.
