Lafayette, Other Louisiana School Systems Monitoring Tropics

LAFAYETTE, La. (KPEL News) - Multiple school systems in South Louisiana are keeping an eye on the tropics ahead of a potential tropical storm or hurricane hitting the Louisiana coast later this week.

Forecasters are currently urging residents of the southern Louisiana parishes to prepare for a Category 1 storm.

The Lafayette Parish School System sent out a message Sunday afternoon alerting residents to possible closures as the district's leadership team monitors the situation in the Gulf of Mexico.

"The leadership team of Lafayette Parish School System met Sunday afternoon to discuss the possible impacts of Invest 91L on our district," LPSS said in a statement on Sunday. "The National Weather Service in Lake Charles and local meteorologists expect the area of low pressure to develop into a tropical system that could bring significant rain and wind to portions of Acadiana mid-week."

"Superintendent Francis Touchet understands the anxiety that accompanies the threat of a storm, and he wants to reassure LPSS parents, caregivers, faculty, and staff that they are closely monitoring the situation to determine when and if schools should be closed," the system also noted. "Superintendent Touchet will make the call as soon as possible to allow our community to prepare. Storm preparation information is available at GetAGamePlan.org."

LPSS schools and families will be notified of any developments via the JCampus system, as well as the district's social media networks and local media.

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The St. Landry Parish school board president sent out a message to SLP families and staff on Sunday evening, as well.

Dear Families,
As we head into the next couple of days, we are keeping a close watch on the forecasted inclement weather. The safety of our students and staff remains our top priority, and we are in regular contact with local authorities to assess any potential impacts.
If there are any changes to school schedules or activities, we will notify you as soon as possible through our regular communication channels.
Thank you for your continued support and cooperation.
Sincerely,
Milton Batiste III

Vermilion Parish School System has also notified families of the possibility of closures.

"We will be monitoring with OEP and the National Weather Service out of Lake Charles on potential excessive rain and or tropical depression or storm conditions mid week," Superintendent Tommy Byler said in a statement on Sunday. "Saturated conditions in some areas from last week's rains could also play a factor this week. We will keep all updated on anything that could affect normal school operations through this platform as well as our JCampus text and VPSS App."

The University of Louisiana posted a note to social media to let students know they are monitoring the situation.

Other school systems are also monitoring the situation and will continue to utilize local forecasters as well as government agencies, such as the National Hurricane Center, to make their final determinations.

Given the potential development of the storm and how it could impact Louisiana's southern parishes, the earliest potential landfall could come early on Wednesday, though most forecasts have it coming later in the day and traveling through the state that night and into Thursday.

This is a developing story, and the KPEL News Team is working to provide additional coverage for Acadiana. Updates will be shared as they become available, so download the KPEL News app via Google Play or in the App Store and subscribe to breaking news alerts to get the latest information sent directly to your mobile device.

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