I am writing this at 9 am on November 9 because there are several things in play that I think NatureCoasters need to be aware of, and the Public Information sources we usually use haven’t sent official word to the media.

I can feel the drop in humidity and am enjoying the gentle breezes that come before the storm and am working on getting those things that I put back out after our preparations for Hurricane Ian. All indications are that we will get lots of rain and wind on Thursday, which will start tonight.

Expect schools and government offices to close Nov. 10. It is unsafe for the buses (and many of the drivers) to be out in winds of 35mph and above. We will publish the public information for you as it comes in. Meanwhile, here is the information NatureCoaster has been able to get so far:

Hernando County District Schools are closing Thursday, Nov. 10. Tuesday afternoon, they sent parents a notice, “After consulting with Hernando Emergency Management, the development of T.S. Nicole indicates that Hernando will likely experience high winds and strong gusts on Thursday. School buses may not operate when sustained winds exceed 35 mph. For the safety of our students and staff, all schools and district offices will be closed Thursday, Nov. 10. Normal operations for Wednesday.”

All Pasco County schools and offices will be closed on Thursday, November 10, due to concerns regarding the expected dangerously high winds from Subtropical Storm Nicole.  All before and after-school programs will be closed on Thursday as well. Schools and offices will be open on Wednesday, and will reopen on Friday, November 11.  Visit our weather page for more information. This will NOT affect the one-week Thanksgiving Break.

Citrus County School District is monitoring forecasts for Tropical Storm Nicole as it approaches Florida. Citrus County Schools is working closely with the Citrus County Emergency Operations Center to prepare for the potential impacts of Tropical Storm Nicole.

As of Nov. 8, there are no changes to Citrus Schools operations for this week. All schools and offices are scheduled to be closed on Friday for Veterans Day. Any school closures will be announced to all families via automated phone calls and email, as well as our website and social media. Please note that if the decision is made to close schools on Thursday, we will let families know at that time about a make-up date.

Tropical Storm-Hurricane Nicole Expected to hit Nature Coast Nov. 10

We are currently under a Tropical Storm Warning for Nicole. We can expect winds of 40-50 mph with gusts up to 60 mph through Thursday afternoon throughout the area. Coastal residents need to prepare for water rising 2-4 feet from storm surge, and all residents (both inland and coastal) may be affected by flood level rains of 2-4 inches.

It has been my experience that when one government agency plans to close for emergency weather, most follow. Therefore, if you have a court appointment, were planning on paying fines or taxes, or any other activity involving local government offices, please call or check their website before heading out.

Here are the websites for each county’s emergency management office:

Citrus: 352-249-2703
Hernando: (352) 754-4083
Pasco: 727-847-8137