WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Gov. Rick Scott has directed all public K-12 schools, state colleges, state universities and state offices to close Friday through Monday, the governor's office announced Thursday.
"Today, I am directing the closure of all public schools, state colleges, state universities and state offices for their normal activities effective Friday through Monday, to ensure we have every space available for sheltering and staging," Scott said. "Floridians are facing a life-threatening storm in Hurricane Irma, and every family must prepare to evacuate."
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Scott said the state's public schools serve a vital role in communities as shelters for displaced residents and staging areas for hurricane recovery efforts.
[RELATED: Hurricane Irma shifts, all of Florida in her path]
"Closing public schools, state colleges, state universities and state offices will provide local and state emergency officials the flexibility necessary to support shelter and emergency response efforts," Scott said.
For detailed shelter information, visit fldoe.org/irma and floridadisaster.org/info.
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Stay with News 6 and ClickOrlando.com for updates on Hurricane Irma.