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Broward County Public Schools will be closed on Wednesday, Oct.9, and Thursday, Oct. 10, as South Florida braces for the potential impact of Hurricane Milton.
The announcement came as county officials declared a local state of emergency for Broward as of 3 p.m. Monday.
School officials announced on Monday that all BCPS programs and activities—including before- and after-school care, field trips, evening classes, events, and meetings—are canceled on Wednesday and Thursday.
Officials said Broward public schools would be open Tuesday, Oct. 8, but will close at 4 p.m. All after-school activities on Tuesday are canceled.
The district also said schools are expected to open on Friday, Oct. 11, and normal operations will resume.
BCPS officials urged families to stay informed about Hurricane Milton’s track and take all necessary safety precautions. Updates to BCPS families will be posted on ParentLink, social media, and at browardschools.com.
As for Broward County offices, all agencies of the Broward County Government are expected to be open for business as usual on Tuesday, officials said.
The Broward County Emergency Operations Center is at a Level 3 preparedness level, meaning officials are in a monitoring stage.
On Monday, county officials said the U.S. Coast Guard put Port Everglades under “Condition X-Ray,” indicating that gale force winds are possible within 48 hours. The Port is expected to move to “Condition Yankee” at midnight, indicating that gale-force winds are possible within 24 hours.
Officials said Broward County Transit is prepared to establish detours if necessary and notify riders of any service disruptions. County public works agencies are coordinating with the Florida Department of Transportation to respond to any issues on county-maintained streets, highways, and bridges.
On Monday, county officials said they do not intend to open hurricane shelters. However, due to significant rainfall expected in Broward, the county “will partner with its shelter providers to open a limited number of shelter spaces for persons experiencing homelessness.”
Homeless residents are asked to report to The Salvation Army, 1445 W. Broward Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale, no later than 6 p.m. Monday for transportation to what the county is calling Homeless Assistance Centers.
Hurricane Milton, about 675 miles from Florida’s west coast in the Gulf of Mexico, strengthened into a Category 5 hurricane Monday afternoon with sustained winds of 180 miles per hour, according to the National Hurricane Center’s 5 pm. advisory.
Milton rapidly intensified from a Category 2 to 5 over a few hours Monday. The NHS said the storm’s strength by Tuesday “should be dictated by any eyewall replacement cycles, which will likely cause the system to gradually weaken but grow larger.
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