School districts closing early as severe storms move through the Triangle
Some school districts in central North Carolina are closing early Thursday as forecasters expect severe storms to move into the area.
Wake, Durham and Chapel Hill-Carrboro public school districts are dismissing students two hours earlier than usual, officials announced in news releases and on Twitter.
Johnston County Schools canceled afternoon activities for the day and is releasing students one hour early, the district wrote in tweets.
And across the state, the North Carolina Zoo shut its doors to visitors, with plans to reopen Friday, according to a Facebook post.
The alerts come as strong storms could bring heavy rain and high winds to the Triangle, mainly from 6 to 8 p.m., The News & Observer reported.
A tornado watches are in effect into the evening for Chatham, Durham, Orange, Wake and nearby counties, according to the National Weather Service. Forecasters have also issued flood watches in the area.
A watch means the condition is possible in an area.
This is a developing story and will be updated when more information becomes available.
This story was originally published February 6, 2020 at 11:48 AM.
