Weather News
Richland, Lexington schools join list of SC closings as Hurricane Dorian approaches
COLUMBIA, SC
As Hurricane Dorian closes in on the coast of South Carolina, a handful of Midlands area districts announced closings out of caution.
Richland One and Two schools and offices will close Thursday. Richland One said in a news release that “high sustained wind speeds and the possibility of higher wind gusts, ... pose potentially unsafe travel conditions for school buses and other vehicles.”
No plans for Friday’s classes have been made, Richland One said.
Lexington school districts One, Two, Three, Four and Five also announced their schools will close Thursday.
Kershaw and Fairfield county schools also are closed Thursday. A decision has not been made whether Fairfield schools will reopen Friday.
Roughly a dozen South Carolina school districts dismissed students early Wednesday as the state continues to prepare for Hurricane Dorian, a Category 2 storm that still is on track to drop heavy rain and tropical storm force winds across parts of the Palmetto State.
In eight of the state’s coastal counties — Beaufort, Berkeley, Charleston, Colleton, Dorchester, Georgetown, Horry and Jasper — all state government offices and schools already have closed. For a list of updated state closings, click here.
SC colleges
Hurricane Dorian will affect college campuses too.
As of Wednesday, classes already were canceled at the College of Charleston, The Citadel and Coastal Carolina University.
Both S.C. State University and Claflin University in Orangeburg also have canceled classes. As did Morris College in Sumter.
There are no classes at USC Salkehatchie and USC Sumter through Thursday.
Fall convocation for Benedict College in Columbia has been rescheduled to Sept. 19.
This is a developing story, check back for updates.