Columbia, SC (WLTX) - School systems in South Carolina are closing due to the threat caused by Hurricane Michael.
The storm is expected to be a tropical storm by the time it begins making its way into the state late Wednesday night into Thursday. A tropical storm watch is in effect for the southern and eastern Midlands.
But even though it will be weaker, it still could trigger severe storms and will create hazardous conditions. Many districts have rules about what conditions their buses can drive in, which will affect their ability to take students to and from schools, which will play a factor in closings
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Here are the current school closings we know about:
Bamberg School District Two: Wednesday after school programs are canceled, schools and offices closed Thursday
Calhoun County Schools: closed all day Thursday
Central Carolina Technical College: all campuses closed Thursday
Clarendon School District 1 - closed Thursday
Clarendon School District 2: closed Thursday
Clarendon School District 3: closed Thursday
Columbia International University - closed Thursday
Denmark Tech: closed Thursday
Grace Academy Daycare: closed Thursday
Gray Collegiate Academy: closed all day Thursday
Fairfield County School District: closed Thursday
Kershaw County School District: closed Thursday
Laurence Manning Academy, Manning: closed Thursday
Lee County School District: all extracurricular activities are canceled Wednesday and Thursday; schools and district offices will be closed Thursday
Lexington Kiddie Kollege: closed Thursday
Lexington School District 1: closed Thursday
Lexington School District 2: closed Thursday
Lexington School District 3: closed Thursday
Lexington School District 4: closed Thursday
Lexington-Richland School District 5: closed Thursday
Midlands Tech: all campuses closed Thursday
Newberry County: all schools will be closed Thursday
Orangeburg School District 3: closed all day Thursday
Orangeburg School District 4: closed all day Thursday
Orangeburg School District 5: closed all day Thursday
Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College: closing at 5 p.m. Wednesday
Richland School District 1: closed Thursday
Richland School District 2: closed Thursday
Saluda County Schools: closed Thursday
South Carolina State University: closed on Thursday
Sumter School District: all Sumter School District schools and offices will be closed Thursday
USC Aiken: closed Thursday
USC Columbia: closed Thursday
USC Sumter: closed and classes canceled Thursday. A Carolina Alert will be sent when classes resume and campus re-opens
Other Closures:
Congaree National Park: until further notice
Riverbanks Zoo and Garden: closed Thursday
South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT): all moveable bridges closed to marine traffic
WLTX Closings Page: www.wltx.com/closings
Stay Informed/Stay Connected
You can also review the South Carolina Emergency Management Division's checklist for preparation. Again, no need to panic and run out and buy things at the grocery store. But it's just good to go ahead and look at it. There are a ton of good resources there.