All Charlotte County schools will be closed on Tuesday. Superintendent Robbie Mason confirmed that Monday afternoon, saying the district would be erring on the side of caution in light of the severe storm heading this way. 

“We are closing all day,” Mason said, adding that a notice to parents will be going out later this afternoon. The decision is for both students and staff. As of now, the Charlotte County School Board meeting is still scheduled to happen Tuesday night as planned. 

The news follows similar announcements all around the region. In Prince Edward, Cumberland and Buckingham counties, schools will close at noon on Tuesday. Lunenburg schools, meanwhile, are still waiting. Their superintendent said she plans to meet with her staff tonight, monitor the weather and then make a final decision. 

As for why it’s happening, you can thank the weather system that will arrive here Tuesday morning. According to the National Weather Service (NWS) station out of Wakefield, beginning around 9 a.m., heavy rain will fall with high winds. Wind gusts up to 36 mph are expected, with up to two and a half inches of rain possible. All of Charlotte County is going to be under a flash flood watch, with “flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations” expected, say NWS officials. “Creeks and streams may rise out of their banks.” 

No decisions have been made about classes on Wednesday both in Charlotte County schools and throughout the region, as the rain, and accompanying flood watch, is expected to last until late Tuesday night. The wind is expected to stick around even longer, with 30 mph wind gusts forecast throughout Wednesday.