As a parent of children who attend Miami Dade Schools, the forecasted arrival of Tropical Storm Helene in our city is deeply worrying. The predicted conditions of 30+ mile per hour winds and heavy rainfall pose a significant threat to our children’s safety. It is alarming that despite the severe weather warnings, our children are expected to attend school on September 27th. 

More than twice as many children are injured in pedestrian accidents on rainy days than on dry days (Beck LF, Paulozzi LJ, Davidson SC. Pedestrian fatalities, Atlanta metropolitan). This underlines the potential dangers our children face if they were to commute to school under these hazardous conditions.

Emergency management experts also affirm the risks associated with tropical storms, maintaining that the impact of such severe weather patterns can be destructive, even when they do not escalate to hurricane levels (National Hurricane Center). For our children’s safety, we must implement preventative measures, and closing schools is one of them.

Let's remember that schools are about nurturing our children and do not become places that expose them to unnecessary harm. Let us prioritize our children’s safety above all. Join us and sign this petition to call for the closure of Miami Dade Schools on September 27th due to Hurricane Helene. Your signature can make a difference.