Community Corner
Parents Cautioned to Reconsider After-School Programs As Storms Approach
The system could bring 2 to 4 inches of rain and winds of up to 25 mph to the Brandon area, according to the National Weather Service.
A forecast calling for heavy rain, strong winds and the potential for tornadoes this afternoon, Oct. 18, has school officials cautioning parents to reconsider any after-school activities they have planned Tuesday.
An area of slogging through the Gulf of Mexico is expected to bring rain and wind to the Tampa Bay area later today. Storms could bring 2 to 4 inches of rain and winds of up to 25 mph to the area, according to the National Weather Service. The system also has the potential to spawn tornadoes, forecasters said.
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Locally heavy rain may also cause flooding of streets and low-lying areas, according to the Weather Service.
“We don’t have any plans to cancel any after-school activities at this point but we are closely following the weather and we would advise parents to do the same,” said Linda Cobbe, a Hillsborough County School District spokesperson. With heavy rains forecast to arrive this afternoon “parents who are planning an after-school activity may want to reconsider.”
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Cobbe also encouraged parents whose children would normally walk home to make plans to pick those children up if possible.
“If bad weather does move in as students are scheduled to leave it’s possible some schools will keep students in the building after dismissal,” Cobbe said. “But any school that cancels anything will notify families individually.”
A scrolling message on the school district’s website on the approaching weather will also carry any information about changes or possible cancellations.
Calls from concerned parents yesterday promoted the school district to send out an automated telephone message to parents advising them to keep a close eye on their local weather forecast.
Storms are expected to move out of the area by the end of the day Wednesday and leave behind much cooler and drier weather heading into the weekend.
The current five-day forecast for Tampa calls for:
- Wednesday, high of 79, 30 percent chance of rain
- Thursday, high of 71, sunny
- Friday, high of 74, sunny
- Saturday, high of 77, mostly sunny
- Sunday, high of 82, mostly sunny
