News Cast for September 26th:
Okeechobee avoiding the worst
Helene is continuing to strengthen and is expected to be an historic storm when it strikes somewhere in North Florida.
Meteorologist Jamie Rhome with the National Hurricane Center said the storm was forecast to be a category 4 storm when it makes landfall this evening in North Florida.
Already heavy rain is impacting North Florida.
In this area we are still under a tropical storm warning and flood watch.
Parts of the region have been under tornado watches and warnings. There were no reports of damage after tornado warnings were issued in Glades County.
As a precaution all local schools, Okeechobee, Glades, Highlands, Osceola and St. Lucie have been closed as have city and county offices along with the court system.
Special marine warnings were also put out on Lake Okeechobee at times last night.
Water managers also closed their public lands for Thursday.
The department of health also shut down in Okeechobee as did the 19th judicial circuit.
Locks stopped operations late last night around the lake
They include
- G-36/Henry Creek Boat Lock (Okeechobee County) is closing at 9:00 p.m. today.
- S-127 Boat Lock (Buckhead Ridge in Glades County) is closing at 9:00 p.m. today.
- S-131 Boat Lock (Lakeport in Glades County) is closing at 9:00 p.m. today.
- S-135 Boat Lock (J&S Fish Camp in Martin County) is closing at 9:00 p.m. today.
- S-193 Boat Lock (Taylor Creek in Okeechobee County) is closing at 9:00 p.m. today.
- S-310 Boat Lock (Southwestern Shore of Lake Okeechobee in Clewiston) is closing at 9:00 p.m. today.
SFWMD Navigation Locks on the Kissimmee Waterway
- S-61 Boat Lock on Cypress Lake and Lake Tohopekaliga in Osceola County is closing at 6:00 p.m. today.
- S-65 Boat Lock on Lake Kissimmee in Osceola/Polk County is closing at 6:00 p.m. today.
- S-65A Boat Lock in Osceola/Polk County is closing at 6:00 p.m. today.
- S-65D Boat Lock in Okeechobee/Highlands County is closing at 6:00 p.m. today.
- S-65E Boat Lock at Kissimmee River, Okeechobee/Glades County is closing at 6:00 p.m. today.
All the locks are expected to resume operations on Friday.
OHS Brahman Football will also play as scheduled Sebastian River on Friday Night at 7 pm.