Schools Closed - Shelters Open

The Hendry county schools will be closed Friday, August 13 due to the
weather alert and small possibility of Hurricane Charlie brushing by west of
Lee county. The county's emergency shelters will be opened at 5 p.m.
Thursday. Shelters are at the Clewiston Middle School and the LaBelle Middle
School. Special needs shelters will also open in Hendry county at 5 p.m.
Thursday.
No word has been received about the opening of Glades county emergency
shelters.
Meanwhile, amateur radio (ham) operators are standing by in Hendry and
Glades county and will operate independently for emergency communication as
well as volunteer their services at emergency shelters around the area. In
the event of a major weather event, phone lines and cell phones will be out
of service or lines overloaded. Amateur radio operators are licensed by the
FCC to operate wireless communication equipment and serve voluntarily as a
public service in the event of local or national emergencies.