Hillsborough Postpones 2 High School Graduations

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FL — Students at two Hillsborough County high schools who were prepared to receive their diplomas Monday night will have to wait a bit longer.

Hillsborough County Public Schools announced the postponement of two graduation ceremonies in light of Tropical Storm Colin’s impending arrival. Both graduation ceremonies have been rescheduled, district officials wrote in an email to media.

The postponed graduation ceremonies are:

• Tampa Bay Tech High School – The ceremony will now take place Wednesday, June 8 at 8:15 p.m. at the Florida State Fairgrounds
• Durant High School – The ceremony will now take place Thursday, June 9 at 8:15 p.m. at the Florida State Fairgrounds

The postponements were announced shortly after Gov. Rick Scott declared a state of emergency across several Florida counties, including Hillsborough.

See Also:

• Tropical Storm Colin Edges Closer To Florida

As of Monday at 11 a.m., forecasters at the National Hurricane Center placed the storm about 285 miles west-southwest of Tampa. The storm is anticipated to arrive in the Big Bend area in the afternoon or evening hours Monday.

Tropical storm warnings have been issued from Indian Pass to Englewood. The storm’s maximum sustained winds were near 50 mph Monday morning with little change in strength expected during the day Monday.

While the Tampa Bay area is expected to escape a direct hit from the storm, forecasters are bracing for heavy rains, increased tornado risk and the potential of high tides 1 to 3 feet above normal in the region. The entire Tampa Bay area has also been placed under a flood watch until 8 a.m. Tuesday.

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