East Alabama schools prepare for impact from Helene

ANNISTON, Ala. ( WIAT ) – Because of the expected weather impacts in the eastern part of the state, some school districts are enacting their severe weather plans for Friday. The Calhoun County Emergency Management Agency has put out a comprehensive list of school delays and closures for the county on its Facebook . Schools around the area are doing everything from 2-hour delays to e-learning days to straight closures.

“The surrounding superintendents, we talk a lot and each county and each community is independent somewhat but we do lean on each other,” Calhoun County Superintendent Tony Willis said. “We know that to the east of us, it’s a little more severe, and to the south of us is a little more severe. We’re kind of in that range where we feel pretty confident we should be ok.”

Derwin Perry lives in Anniston and works at the Carver Community Center. He wondered why he didn’t have to pick anyone up from school Thursday, but he was glad to see school leaders taking precaution and keeping safety in mind.

“It’s a good thing for them doing this because where I’m from, they usually didn’t do stuff like this, especially during this type of weather. We’d still be at school in Nashville,” Perry said. “Having to rush on the highway or anything like that, that brings a lot more problems. People trying to get home, get to their kids, then they got to worry about going to get something to eat or going to the grocery store or going to restaurants.”

Willis says student safety is the number one priority.

“I know personally sometimes school buildings are safer than my own personal home but still, I would want my children at home with me in those situations,” Willis said.

Calhoun County Schools says it will re-assess the weather conditions Friday morning to determine if it needs to bump up from a two-hour delay to virtual learning.

“City districts sometimes it’s a little easier to go virtual because they have better widespread internet and Wi-Fi in their communities,” Willis said. “Some of my rural areas, it’s very difficult to do virtual in the White Plains or Pleasant Valley areas where the internet is not as well connected.”

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