Brevard County to reopen schools as tropical storm warning expires

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. - Brevard County Schools closed Monday because of Tropical Storm Eta but they will reopen them on Tuesday.

Brevard County was under a Tropical Storm Warning from Sunday into Monday, prompting the district to close its schools. That means no school activities took place and teachers and staff did not report to work on Monday. All district officers were also closed.

The school district made the announcement Sunday afternoon. District officials said it was out of an abundance of caution.

“Just wanted to be safe today and hopefully this is the only day,” Brevard County Schools Chief Strategic Communications Officer Russell Bruhn said. “The unknown about what could happen today with the weather mostly high winds and the potential for some flooding."

He added that "we have school busses that travel around this county morning and the afternoon and we had concerns about that and also concerns about our staff and teachers going to and from school not knowing what today would bring."

RELATED: Tropical Storm Eta intensifying, landfall expected in Florida

The tropical storm warning has since expired but the county could feel very strong winds and squalls. Tornadoes are unlikely but showers and thunderstorms could occur. However, with there being no warning, Brevard Public Schools has decided to resume normal operations on Tuesday. District offices will also reopen.

FOX 35 traveled to Cocoa Beach, we saw heavy winds and rain near the pier.

Vacationers said the district made a good call on Monday.

“There could be downed power lines and stuff throughout the day,” vacationer Holly Spencer told FOX 35. “I could see where that would be a smart move. Absolutely.”

School district leaders said they have been monitoring Eta since Thursday and will continue to do so.

TRACK THE TROPICS: Visit the FOX 35 Orlando Hurricane Center for the latest in the tropics, including daily updates, live radar, and severe weather alerts

“We have worked with emergency management in Brevard County throughout this process, talking with them multiple times each day to get updates on where they’re at and how that can impact our schools,” Bruhn said. “So, this has been a team effort.”

Tune in to FOX 35 Orlando for the latest Central Florida news.