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Schools in Cumberland and Prince Edward counties will all close early on Tuesday. In Buckingham County, students get a full day off, with buildings completely closed. All three districts released information Monday afternoon, saying they planned closings for both students and staff. Buckingham, as mentioned, will be fully closed. Cumberland will close at noon, while Prince Edward schools will shut down at 12:30 p.m.

In all three districts, all after-school and evening activities will be canceled Tuesday. As it stands, all government meetings scheduled for Tuesday night will still take place. The same goes for the special election, which is scheduled for parts of Prince Edward, as well as Lunenburg and Charlotte counties. 

The news follows similar announcements of early closings and cancellations around the region, all in light of the severe storm heading this way. Charlotte County schools will actually be shut down all day, with Superintendent Robbie Mason saying the district would be erring on the side of caution. Lunenburg schools, meanwhile, are still waiting. Superintendent Dr. Sharon Stanislas said she plans to meet with her staff tonight, monitor the weather and then make a final decision. 

A storm situation

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 Buckingham, Cumberland and Prince Edward counties are 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 throughout the region, as the rain is expected to last until late Tuesday night. The wind is expected to stick around even longer, with 30 mph gusts forecast throughout Wednesday.