Horry school officials: weather make up day not yet set

Rough winds rattled the Grand Strand Wednesday causing some minor issues, but the severe weather that closed schools was largely a no-show due to dry air stabilizing the atmosphere, according to forecasters.

A lot of dry air came in and mingled with sea air, stabilizing the atmosphere and causing the system to die out, Reid Hawkins, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Wilmington, N.C. said.

“This time of year that’s not abnormal,” Hawkins said.

Horry and Georgetown county school officials canceled classes Wednesday, but Horry and Georgetown schools returned to their regular schedules Thursday. Teal Harding, Horry County Schools spokeswoman, said the district has not set a makeup day for school yet.

“It may be next week, because we have to get all the chief officers together and confer with the board,” Harding said.

Weather authorities issued a wind advisory in effect until 8 p.m. Wednesday as gusts up to 70 mph were possible, and the advisory was then extended to 2 p.m. Thursday as the wind continued to blow across the county and surrounding areas, but it was canceled about 12:30 p.m. as the wind let up.

He said the strongest gust recorded Wednesday in Horry County was 46 mph.

Severe weather struck near-by counties in the Carolinas, including Darlington and Robeson, N.C., where tornado watches were issued, but the system fell apart before it could punch Horry County.

Some downed trees and limbs were reported along with a few traffic light defects, and the high winds caused landscaping issues for some businesses and residential yards, but not much damage was reported from the wind, Brian VanAernem, spokesman with Horry County Fire Rescue, said.

“We weren’t overwhelmed by it, but there was a good bit of calls,” he said.

Horry County Schools officials said they took the necessary precautions by closing school, especially given the forecast for 70 mph wind gusts which could knock buses off roads, Harding said. She said the district had to use the most up-to-date and reliable information as possible Tuesday night, and even considered a half-day for students.

“At the time we had to make the decision, closing school was the only decision,” Harding said.

This story was originally published February 25, 2016 at 4:02 PM with the headline "Horry school officials: weather make up day not yet set."