Hurricane Helene is causing schools, government agencies and businesses across Central Florida to decide whether to close or remain open during the storm.
Schools
All public schools in Central Florida will be closed on Thursday.
UCF said it will suspend campus operations and all classes, including online classes, on Thursday. But student housing will remain open. “Normal operations will continue through 11:59 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 25, and are planned to resume at 6 a.m. Friday, Sept. 27. We are not depopulating campus.”
Rollins College will close and cancel all classes, including online classes, on Thursday. All activities and events are also canceled. “It is anticipated that normal operations will resume on Friday, September 27, pending a damage assessment of the campus,” the school posted on its website.
Valencia College said it will be closed on Thursday with in-person and online classes will be canceled.
Seminole State College said all classes and operations are closed on Thursday.
Full Sail University said it will move to remote classes and work operations on Thursday. “Classes and labs will move to remote operations via Zoom, with potential rescheduling for select campus labs. All students are asked to remain off campus and stay home and safe,” the school said in news release. UCF said all academic assignments and exams, including for all classes with online components, are suspended while the university is closed. UCF Housing will remain open and operational for all residents. It plans to resume normal operations at 9 a.m. on Friday.
Governments
Orlando said it is closing non-essential city offices and services, including City Hall, on Thursday because of Hurricane Helene. Also closing will be all City of Orlando Neighborhood Centers and pools as well as Harry P. Leu Gardens. The city’s after school program will continue to operate for young residents that are currently enrolled until 6 p.m. Wednesday at those sites. After School Program sites will remain open on a limited basis for currently enrolled students until noon on Thursday.
Seminole County government offices will be closed Thursday. This includes Seminole County Animal Services, Seminole County Library Branches, and all county boat ramps. Seminole County government offices Friday hours are to be determined.
Lake County offices the clerk of courts will be closed on Thursday and will be assessed for reopening Friday.
All Florida Department of Health offices in Orange and Osceola counties will be closed on Thursday. Offices will remain closed until further notice.
Kissimmee said city administrative offices will be closed on Thursday. All trash and recycling collection scheduled for Thursday canceled. Services will operate as scheduled on Friday.
Polk County said its clerk’s office will be closed on Thursday. All hearings scheduled for Thursday will be rescheduled. All jurors summoned for Thursday should not report. Jury duty will resume on Friday. If you are summoned for Friday, Sept. 27, please check back Thursday afternoon to see if your number has been called.
Transportation
Orlando International Airport said Wednesday that the airport remains open and operational. “Inclement weather may lead to delays & cancellations,” the airport posted on X, formerly Twitter. “Please check with your airline for any flight updates. For general airport delays, please visit:https://nasstatus.faa.gov.”
Orlando Sanford International Airport posted on its website for passengers to check with tier airlines about flight delays and cancelations caused by Helene.
Tampa International Airport said it will be closed on Thursday. “TPA will remain operational through the Wednesday flight schedule and plans to resume services when it is safe to do so Friday, but passengers should check with their airlines regarding flight schedules,” the airport said in a news release.
Brightline posted on its website Wednesday that it was “operating a normal schedule at this time.”
SunRail has suspended service on Thursday, and says it will resume service as early Friday as possible “once crews have checked the rail corridor” for damage and obstructions.
Utilities
Kissimmee Utility Authority’s Customer Service Center will be on Thursday. The utility’s call center will continue to operate during normal business hours on Thursday, from 7 a.m. until 6 p.m., to accommodate utility payments and other services. KUA’s customer service representatives can be reached at 407-933-9800. Customers who experience a power outage can report it quickly by texting the word “out,” to 877-582-7700. This is the fastest way to notify KUA about an outage.
Attractions
Walt Disney World said it is making changes to its operations because of Hurricane Helene. Typhoon Lagoon water park and miniature golf courses will be closed on Thursday, and
Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is canceled for Thursday. While Magic Kingdom was scheduled to close Thursday at 6 p.m., Disney is now extending operating hours until 8 p.m. for guests to enjoy more time in the park. More information on Disney World operations at DisneyWorld.com/Weather.
Universal Orlando said that it would shut down its water park Volcano Bay on Thursday. “The rest of our resort including our hotels remain operational as we continue to monitor conditions. We anticipate reopening Volcano Bay at its normal hours on Friday, September 27,” the resort posted on its website. Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios will remain operational, the site says, as conditions are monitored.
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex said all bus tours are canceled for Thursday, but the attraction will operate under its normal hours.
Orlando Science Center is open and offering supervised camps for children in kindergarten through fifth grade for Thursday. Hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. More information and registration: osc.org/hurricane
Arts, Culture & Events
Orlando Sentinel’s Top Workplaces event scheduled for Thursday has been postponed until Friday.
Winter Park Playhouse has canceled its 2 p.m. Thursday performance of “Snapshots,” and ticket holders will be automatically reassigned to an added performance on Oct. 2. For questions, call the theater at 407-645-0145.
The Charles M. Hosmer Museum of American Art in Winter Park closed at noon Wednesday and will remain closed until the storm passes. More information: morsemuseum.org.
Nerd Nite Orlando is canceled for Thursday. More information: orlando.nerdnite.com.
Orange County Library System branches and book drops will be closed Thursday, but are expected to reopen Friday. More information: ocls.info.
The Sonnentag Theatre at the IceHouse in Mount Dora has canceled its Thursday performance of “The Odd Couple.” Box-office staff will contact ticket holders and help them choose a new date to attend. More information: icehousetheatre.com.
Theater West End in Sanford has canceled its Thursday performance of “Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill.” Ticket holders will receive further information via email. More information: theaterwestend.com.
UCF has canceled multiple arts events, including an on-campus Thursday recital by pianist Hsiang Tu and Thursday’s performance of “The Clean House.” The recital will be rescheduled for a later date. Ticket holders to “The Clean House” should contact the box office for a refund. In addition, Thursday’s UCF Symphony Orchestra concert at Dr. Phillips High School has been postponed, and the UCF Art Gallery will be closed.