Ahead of Tropical Storm Helene: School closures and evacuations

CHARLOTTE COUNTY

• Charlotte County Public Schools will be closed on Thursday, September 26, and Friday, September 27
• Kingsway Elementary will close at noon on Wednesday, September 25 to serve as a shelter for residents.
  After-school activities scheduled for Wednesday, September 25, are canceled, with the exception of on-campus daycare programs, which will remain open. A decision regarding Friday night high school activities will be made once more information on the potential impacts of the storm becomes available.
• Evacuations have been ordered for barrier islands, low-lying and flood-prone areas, manufactured homes and any homes that may not withstand high winds such as those that may be comprised from previous storms.
• Shelters will open at 1 p.m., Wednesday at Harold Avenue Regional Park, 23400 Harold Ave., in Port Charlotte and Kingsway Elementary School, 23300 Quasar Blvd., in Port Charlotte.
• Charlotte County Transit Service will be closed for regular service on Wednesday and Thursday.
  Customers with reservations should get a notice on their phone.

COLLIER COUNTY

• You can collect sand, empty sandbags and shovels at two Collier County parks.
  Those items will be available on Tuesday, September 24th at 3p.m. and ending at dusk.
  Location:
  North Collier Regional Park
  15000 Livingston Road
  Naples, FL 34109 in the Sun-N-Fun Lagoon parking lot and at

  Donna Fiala Eagles Lakes Community Park
  11565 Tamiami Trail East
  Naples, FL. 34113
  

DESOTO COUNTY

• Desoto County Schools will be closed on Thursday, September 26th.

GLADES COUNTY

• Glades County Schools tells FOX 4 that there are no planned closures at this time.

HENDRY COUNTY

• The Hendry County School District says they do not foresee weather impacts that would require school to close.

LEE COUNTY

• The Lee County School District has not announced any school closures.
  

SARASOTA COUNTY

County leaders will send out an evacuation alert for Level A and manufactured home communities starting Wednesday, September 25th at 7.am. The city will be do the same and reminds Zone A residents that the evacuation is mandatory.

Evacuation Centers in Sarasota County will open at noon on Wednesday.