Our community is again left heartbroken after facing yet another flood. In the past few weeks, we have seen tremendous amounts of snowfall, kicking off a great winter season. These conditions seemed almost too good to be true this early in the season. Now, all the rain seems like a slap in the face from Mother Nature. 

Monday, December 18, 2023, we experienced massive amounts of rainfall and temperatures reaching 60 degrees Fahrenheit. This combination resulted in serious snow melt. There was simply too much water for the rivers to handle, which led to the second major flood in our community within 6 months. 

About an hour after the start of school on Monday, Harwood students heard an announcement over the speakers that they were being immediately dismissed. Students who had driven or had been driven were instructed on how to get home safely and were dismissed shortly after. 

Every school in the Harwood Union Unified School District dismissed students to allow them to get home safely before conditions worsened. All schools were also closed on Tuesday, December 19, so that officials could ensure it was safe for students to travel back to school. 

All students besides Moretown were sent back to school on Wednesday, December 20. Fortunately, most schools suffered no severe damage, with one exception. Moretown Elementary School sustained serious damage, which prevented Moretown Students from returning to the building for the remainder of the week. For now, Moretown students are utilizing the ECO Base Camp and the Town Library.