With Hurricane Helene advancing on a path forecasters said would take it to Florida as a potentially catastrophic storm on Thursday, the outer bands of the massive storm were already being felt in South Florida, where scores of businesses, schools and others were shutting down or curtailing operations.
Forecasters say Helene is an unusually large storm, whose windfield extends as far as 275 miles from its center. Even well before landfall, heavy rainfall will begin in portions of the southeastern United States, including most of Florida.
READ MORE: As Helene approaches Florida, here's what you need to know
Tropical storm warnings are in effect in all four South Florida counties: Broward, Miami-Dade, Monroe and Palm Beach.
Below is the latest list of Helene-related announcements throughout South Florida. It will be updated throughout the day.
For weather and news updates, you can also tune in to WLRN 91.3 FM and WKWM 91.5 FM (Florida Keys).
Please send any storm-related announcements to the WLRN newsroom: news@wlrnnews.org
Broward County Government offices. Based on the latest forecasts, Broward County Government will be open Thursday, September 26 for normal business operations.
Broward County Public Schools will be closed Thursday. This includes before and after school care, after-school activities, field trips, and evening events and classes. Additionally, the Redefining Our Schools Community Meeting schedule for Thursday at Miramar High School will be rescheduled to a later date.
Broward County Transit and Parks will be operating normally but will continue to evaluate weather conditions.
Broward County Human Services facilities and Libraries will also see normal operations. Public Works crews will continue clearing drains and preparing pumps in anticipation of additional rainfall
The College of the Florida Keys is closed Thursday. During this time, all classes are cancelled and offices at the Key West Campus and Middle Keys and Upper Keys Centers will be closed to the public. Only Lagoon Landing residents and authorized College personnel, with proper ID, will be permitted on the Key West Campus during this time.
Florida Atlantic University has suspended all classes and operations for Thursday, Sept. 26. Information regarding classes and operations for Friday, Sept. 27 will be shared when available. Students, faculty, and staff should monitor all communication channels, including the University advisory page (www.fau.edu/advisory) for updates.
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. Open.
Islamorada: Trash pickup. No garbage service on Thursday. Regular schedule will resume on Friday.
Marathon: Trash pickup Marathon Garbage Service (Marathon) and Keys Sanitary Service (Key Largo) will collect as normal, but it may be delayed.
Miami Beach Parking Department opened public garages for residents and employees of Miami Beach businesses wishing to keep their cars out of flood-prone areas. Residents and employees of Miami Beach businesses can park vehicles at no cost through 8 a.m. Friday, September 27. Read more here.
Miami-Dade County: Schools MDPS will be open Thursday, according to the district’s X, formerly Twitter, account
Miami International Airport. Open. Due to potential severe weather as a result of Hurricane Helene, please check with your airline for latest flight information.
Monroe County Government offices will be closed on Thursday. Staff will be working remotely where available.
Monroe County Airports are open, but check with airlines for changes and cancellations before your departure.
Monroe County Public Libraries: Closed on Thursday
Monroe County schools will be closed on Thursday.
Florida State Parks in Monroe County are closed Thursday.
Monroe County: Trash pickup. Waste Management in Key West and the Lower Keys will not be doing collection on Thursday. Thursday’s collections will be run on Friday, and Friday’s collections will be run on Saturday.
Palm Beach County Palm Beach County Emergency Management officials continue to actively monitor Hurricane Helene and its progress towards the Florida Panhandle. The county is under a Tropical Storm Warning and Flood Watch and is expecting weather impacts. Most county operations will be open as usual:
Palm Beach County beaches All County beaches and beach parks will be closed to include the Juno Beach Pier.
Palm Beach County: Schools Due to the forecasted severe weather conditions associated with Hurricane Helene, all District-operated schools and offices will be closed Thursday, September 26. All extracurricular activities, after-school programs, sports, school meetings, and other on-campus events are also canceled.
Palm Tran operations may be affected throughout the day and riders should prepare accordingly. For real time bus arrival information, download the Palm Tran app or visit the trip planner at www.Palmtran.org.
Publix stores in South Florida are open. Please be aware that due to Hurricane Helene, stores in affected areas may be adjusting its hours. Click here for a map to find the most up-to-date information on changes to store hours.
West Palm Beach city officials say the "Clematis by Night" is cancelled for Thursday, September 26, due to Hurricane Helene.
Winn-Dixie South Florida stores are open. Click here for store closures related to storm
Please send any storm-related announcements to the WLRN newsroom: news@wlrnnews.org
