Five Midlands school districts have announced they will switch to a remote learning schedule on Thursday due to the after-effects of Hurricane Idalia.

Lexington 1 School District in the central part of Lexington County, Lexington 2 in Cayce/West Columbia, Lexington 3 in Batesburg-Leesville, Lexington 4 in the Swansea area, and Lexington-Richland 5 in Chapin and Irmo have all announced that students will take virtual lessons from the safety of their own homes on Thursday.

Richland 1 and Richland 2 had previously announced plans to operate schools on a two-hour delay on Thursday. Kershaw County schools have also announced a two-hour delay to schools starting Thursday.

The news came as the remnants of the storm passed over South Carolina on Wednesday afternoon, bringing up to five inches of rain as well as the threat of strong winds and tornadoes. The Midlands were under a tropical storm warning and a flood watch Wednesday.

The hurricane made landfall on the Gulf coast of Florida earlier Wednesday before heading over Georgia and the Carolinas. The storm could be as strong as a Category 1 hurricane as it passes over the Palmetto State, the National Weather Service has said.

South Carolina could continue to see the effects of the storm overnight Wednesday into Thursday morning.

Gov. Henry McMaster warned South Carolinians to stay off the roads, as state officials warned as many as 200,000 people could lose power due to the storm.