Manatee district officials to examine school damage after Hurricane Milton

After Hurricane Milton whipped through Manatee County, school district officials will inspect more than 50 schools for damage and power outages Friday.

The storm battered homes and businesses and knocked out power for thousands of people. As of Friday morning, over 60 percent of the county was without power.

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The county kept two school shelters open for people who were forced to evacuate their homes. As of Friday morning, 208 people were at shelters, county spokesman Bill Logan said.

District officials expect to have a better idea of the damage at the district’s 51 schools by Friday afternoon. The extent of the damage will help them determine when to reopen schools. The schools have been closed since Monday.

This story will be updated.