Hurricane Irma: Charlotte Schools Open Monday, Monitoring Weather

CHARLOTTE, NC -- Hurricane Irma’s westward shift in forecasts Sunday is good news for North Carolina, and means Charlotte-area schools will be open Monday.

“All schools are on a normal schedule Mon, Sept. 11.” Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools said on social media Sunday. “We are monitoring the weather closely, & will notify you in conditions warrant a change.”

Hurricane Irma’s westward march Sunday will spare the Carolinas of much of its tropical storm wrath, bringing less than two inches of rain to the Charlotte area. The Queen City region could see, however, wind gusts up to 36 mph on Tuesday, according to National Weather Service forecasters.

Even with the westward shift, North Carolina could still see flash flooding, tornadoes and even landslides in the mountain areas as a result of the mega storm.

“Things are looking better for North Carolina but we can’t let our guard down,” N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper said Friday afternoon at a press conference.

Irma is “roughly the size of the state of Texas,” Cooper said. “We know that even if North Carolina is spared a direct hit some parts of our state could still see serious impacts, particularly in the Western part of our state. (Get Patch real-time email alerts for the latest news in Charlotte — or other neighborhoods. And iPhone users: Check out Patch's new app.)

Watch: Up Close Views Of Powerful Irma

According to the National Hurricane Center, Western North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia will experience periods of heavy rain, which will lead to a risk of flooding and flash flooding.
“There’s a chance of direct impacts in portions of Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina, but it’s too early to specify the magnitude and location of these impacts,” the National Weather Service said.

• SEE ALSO: Hurricane Irma - Charlotte Prepares For The Worst

Cooper, who said Friday the state-wide emergency would stay in effect until the storm passed, has stressed that residents should prepare even as projections had a weakened Irma entering the state well inland early next week.

"This storm can impact any part of North Carolina — all over our state from the mountains to the coast," Cooper said. "Just because that it might be at tropical-storm strength doesn't mean this storm isn't going to be very dangerous."

See also:

• Hurricane Irma: Fifth Shelter Opens In North Carolina
• Hurricane Irma: Storm’s Worst Likely To Stay West Of The Carolinas
• Hurricane Irma: Evacuees Land in North Carolina
• Where To Find Gas In North Carolina: Hurricane Irma Evacuation
• Hurricane Irma: Gov. Cooper Warns ‘We Can’t Let Our Guard Down’
• Hurricane Irma: Almost 3 Million Predicted To Be Without Power
• Hurricane Irma: How North Carolina Can Prepare

Image via National Weather Service

Keep up with more Hurricane Irma news by liking Charlotte Patch on Facebook: