TIFTON — Due to inclement weather, Tift County schools and several area schools are closed today. Most school systems plan to resume classes Wednesday.

Tift County Schools Superintendent Patrick Atwater released the following statement Monday morning: “Based on current and forecasted weather conditions and out of precaution for transportation safety, the decision has been made to cancel school for tomorrow, Feb. 26. At this time, school is scheduled to reopen Wednesday, Feb. 27. If this information changes, it will be posted on our website, local radio and local television. Faculty and staff are not expected to report to work. Principals will report to work to turn around any students that come to school and need to be returned home.”

The local school system released the following statement minutes later, “Based upon deteriorating road conditions, the decision has been made to allow parents to begin immediately picking up car riders at all schools. At this time, plans are for buses to continue to run their regular routes this afternoon. Students that drive to Tift County High School can begin checking out immediately. Kent Road is currently closed. Principals and staff will remain at all schools for the remainder of the day.”

Tiftarea Academy is also closed today. Employees do not have to report to school. As of Monday afternoon, it was undetermined if school would reopen Wednesday.

Public Relations Director Ashley Mock informed The Gazette that there were no plans to cancel classes today at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, as of Monday afternoon. However, Moultrie Technical College Tifton Campus did cancel classes for today.

The college released the following statement Monday afternoon: “Due to extremely large rain fall levels making the roads impassable in many of our counties, all campuses of MTC, as well as all GED test preparation/Adult Education sites, will be closed for Monday evening classes tonight and all day Tuesday, Feb. 26. At this time, we plan to reopen Wednesday as usual. Additionally, the public school systems in our service delivery area of Colquitt, Tift, Turner and Worth counties have announced that they will also be closed, so we will not have dually enrolled high school students on campus. Please be safe out there, and stay tuned to the MTC website, the MTC Alert system (voicemail, e-mail and text messaging) and local TV and radio stations for updates.”

Also, the Historic Village is closed today due to inclement weather. The museum, gallery and country store will remain open.

Other counties that have closed their schools today include:

• Ben Hill County: Superintendent Nancy Whiddon told The Gazette Monday afternoon that at that time, they were not canceling school. She stated that parents would be notified through the school system’s automated call system if they found that it was necessary to do so. Later that afternoon, according to a Ben Hill County school official, it was determined that the local schools would be closed today. As of Monday afternoon, it was undetermined if school would reopen Wednesday.

• Berrien County: Staff needs to report to school if possible. School is planned to reopen Wednesday.

• Cook County: School will resume Wednesday. The building will be open for teachers to work today, but they are not required to report to school, says Assistant Superintendent Jeff Shealey.

• Irwin County: School is closed today for students only. Faculty and staff are to report to school by 9 a.m. School is planned to reopen Wednesday.

• Turner County: Staff needs to report to school if possible. As of Monday afternoon, it was undetermined if school would reopen Wednesday. Superintendent Ray Jordan said they will assess the weather conditions today.

• Worth County: Planning to resume school Wednesday. Local schools have been closed since Monday. However, some employees were expected to report to school, according to a Worth County school official.



Vickie Hickman, deputy director for Tift County’s Emergency Management Agency, stated in an e-mail at approximately 5:45 p.m. Monday that according to rain gauges throughout Tift County, they have reported totals ranging from 5.69 to 6.95 inches of rain since Friday.

“We are expecting several more inches within the next 24-36 hours, along with the chance of some severe storms during the late night and early morning hours,” she said.

She added, “We want people to be aware that there is more rain coming. It’s so saturated that the water doesn’t have anywhere to run. It’s not running off like it normally does.”

Hickman said the flooding in Tift County has been mostly localized and sporadic. She noted that no injures or damages have been reported. Also, no homes were evacuated Monday.

However, The Gazette recently reported that six individuals were evacuated from their mobile homes in the area of Doc Melton Sr. Drive and Highway 41 Saturday afternoon, according to Tift County Sheriff Gene Scarbrough. He told staff that the Tift County EMA, assisted by Tift County deputies, helped the families walk safely through 3 feet of water that surrounded the homes. No one was injured. He also noted that water was not believed to have entered the two homes.

“On the upside, everything is flowing,” Hickman said. “The road department and everyone has done a great job at keeping the drainage system open so water can flow.”

The following is a list of roads that are currently closed, as of Monday:

• Babe Hall Road between Lower Brookfield Road and Highway 125 South

• The intersection of Chesnutt Avenue and East Sixth Street

• The entrance to Cypress Ridge Subdivision, the back gate is open for through traffic

• Sutton Circle at Robert Oliver Road

• Sutton Circle at Highway 319 North

• Old Brookfield Road at the two bridges

• Bussell Road at Union Road

• Bill Branch Road

• Urbana Road between house No. 72 and 135

• Lee Avenue between Eighth Street and 12th Street

• Belmont Avenue between Eighth Street and 12th Street

• Gun Lake Loop from address 163 to 911 marker 248

• Highway 41 South between Tifton-Eldorado Road and Oakridge Church Road

• Aberdeen Drive

• Kent Road from Old Ocilla Road to Harbor Point Apartments

• Adcock Road from address 266 to Fordham Road

• Red Oak Road from Ethridge Road to the address of 469

• HM Barry Road on the dirt part

Hickman said, “We want to encourage everyone not to drive through water standing in or running over roadways.”

She stated that it will be toward the end of the week before they can get out to repair the roads.



To contact reporter Latasha Everson, call 382-4321.