by Sarah Bellal
Courier Staff Writer
School district authorities announced the closing of all Bay Area schools on December 11th due to an anticipated rain storm. Accuweather meteorologists expected 3-6 inches of rain on this day alone. The National Weather service says it was “expected to be one of the strongest storms in terms of wind and rain” for the last five years.
While this may bode well for farmers who have recently been suffering the consequences of a severe drought, there have also been warnings of flash flooding and debris flows throughout the Bay, issued by the National Weather Service. Residents of the East Bay even received a text message alert, similar to how Amber Alerts are sent, regarding the possibility of flash floods in the area. It is recommended that people avoid flood areas with their automobiles, as most flash flooding deaths occur in cars.
Lakshmi Ramesh, a senior at James Logan High School, says “The cancelling of school hasn’t affected us much—it’s like a weekend in the middle of the week.” Some teachers, on the other hand, may have to deal with interrupted lesson plans, as well as having to reschedule tests and due dates.
“The cancellation of school today was certainly a surprise. However, I was already scheduled to be out of class all day for professional development, so the storm didn’t disrupt class plans too terribly.” says Ms. Wright, an English teacher at Logan. Fortunately, many teachers, including Wright, were able to carry on teaching through the storm through the use of the Chromebooks which were issued to students just this year. “I was able to use Google Classroom to touch base with my students and encourage them to stay on top of their reading assignments. Rainy days are perfect opportunities to curl up with a good book.”
Whether students and teachers are continuing to work on their day off, or curling up with their books and electronics, Bay Area families are encouraged to stay dry and stay safe.