In advance of Helene, Brunswick County Schools closed Friday; New Hanover goes remote

(This story was updated to accurately reflect the most current information.)

While major impacts from Hurricane Helene are not expected in the Wilmington area, three local school districts are already preparing for a second storm in less than two weeks.

With rain and wind gusts slated to begin Thursday night, Brunswick County Schools announced its schools and buildings will be closed Friday and will be a nonrequired workday for staff, according to the district's website.

Originally set to have a two-hour delay Friday, New Hanover County Schools announced early Friday morning that it would instead be a remote learning day.

On Thursday morning, Pender County Schools said it will transition to remote learning on Friday, according to a news release.

More on the storm: Helene is now a strengthening hurricane. Here's what it could mean for Wilmington

Brunswick will have an instructional day for students and staff on Monday, Oct. 21, which was previously deemed a teacher workday.

Cape Fear Academy is also closed Friday, according to a news release from the school.

As for area colleges, Brunswick Community College will be closed Friday with classes taking place remotely where possible, according to a news release Thursday. Events scheduled after noon on Friday at Odell Williamson Auditorium will take place as scheduled. The school will reopen Saturday.

It's been less than 10 days since an unnamed storm, also called Potential Tropical Cyclone 8, brought 20 inches of rain to much of Brunswick and southern New Hanover counties, damaging homes and flooding out several roads. Some of them remain washed out.

Even with projections of 2-4 inches of rain from Helene, officials are worried about any precipitation adding to already swollen creeks and rivers and the harm it could do to recovery efforts.

Some areas could see higher rainfall totals. On Thursday night, the storm could bring wind gusts greater than 25 mph, and isolated tornadoes are possible.

Minor coastal flooding is possible at the beaches Friday and along the Lower Cape Fear River during the high tide. Hazardous marine conditions are possible later this week, with 7- to 10-foot seas possible and gale-force wind gusts Thursday night and Friday.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: In advance of Helene, Brunswick County Schools closed Friday; New Hanover goes remote