Marion County Public Schools has announced that schools will be closed on Tuesday, January 9, due to severe weather that is expected to impact the area.
In a social media post on Monday evening, MCPS stated that all classes are canceled due to “impending rough weather,” and no school buses will run.
“We will continue to monitor the storm and update our community through our social channels and Skylert system,” stated MCPS on its Facebook page.
In addition, the College of Central Florida announced that all of its sites will be closed on Tuesday, January 9, including the Ocala Campus, Citrus Campus, Levy Campus, Hampton Center, Appleton Museum, and Vintage Farm, as well as online classes. Scheduled activities have also been canceled.
The College of Central Florida plans to reopen on Wednesday morning for classes and all business operations, weather permitting. The community college stated that it will provide updates on its website, as well as through traditional media and social media.
On Tuesday, most of northeast Florida (including Ocala/Marion County) and southeast Georgia are at “an enhanced risk for severe thunderstorms,” according to the U.S. National Weather Service in Jacksonville (NWS). This means that numerous severe thunderstorms are possible.
“The main threats will be damaging straight line winds and isolated tornadoes, with the timing being from the early afternoon through evening,” stated NWS.
According to NWS, on Tuesday, from the early morning through the evening hours, the storm is forecast to bring sustained winds of 25 to 35 miles per hour, with 45 to 55 mph frequent gusts. Tree damage and power outages are possible.
For more information, visit the U.S. National Weather Service in Jacksonville’s website or follow them on Facebook.