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With damaging winds expected across much of the state today, weather forecasters and law enforcement officials are urging Iowans to be cautious when driving.

The National Weather Service has issued a high wind warning for most of the state, starting at 3 PM and continuing through Thursday morning. With gusts expected to be anywhere from 55 to 70 miles per hour, widespread power outages are likely. The conditions will make travel difficult, especially for high-profile vehicles like school buses.

Several school districts in eastern Iowa are dismissing classes early today to get buses off the roads. Below is the list of school announcements for Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2021.


Waterloo: Cunningham, middle and high schools dismissing at 1 PM; elementary schools at 2 PM; All after school activities and athletics are canceled except high school varsity athletics, which will end at 2:30 PM with no activity bus.

Allamakee: Dismissing 2 hours early; No evening activities
Aplington-Parkersburg: Dismissing 2-1/2 hours early
BCLUW: Dismissing 2 hours early; No afternoon preschool
Belle Plaine: Dismissing at noon
Benton Community: Dismissing at noon
BGM: Dismissing at 12:30 PM
Bosco Catholic System: Pre-kindergarten dismissing at 12:45 PM; Kindergarten-12th grade dismissal at 1 PM; Buses will run; Evening activities canceled
Cedar Valley Catholic System: Dismissing 90 minutes early with buses running
Clear Creek-Amana: No after school activities; No school board meeting
Community Lutheran (Readlyn): Dismissing 2 hours early; Christmas musical postponed to Thursday, Dec. 16
Decorah: Dismissing 2 hours early
Dike-New Hartford: Dismissing 2 hours early
Dunkerton: Dismissing at 1 PM
East Buchanan: Dismissing at 12:30 PM
East Marshall: Dismissing 2 hours early
Eastern Allamakee: Dismissing 2 hours early
Gladbrook-Reinbeck: Dismissing 2 hours early
Green Mountain-Garwin: Dismissing at 12:30 PM
Grundy Center: Dismissal at 12:40 PM; No junior high wrestling practice
HLV: Dismissing at 12:30 PM
Howard-Winneshiek: Dismissing at 1:20 PM
Independence (including St. John's): Dismissing 2 hours early; No afternoon preschool; No afternoon activities
Iowa Falls-Alden: Dismissing 3 hours early; No evening activities
Iowa Valley: Dismissing at 1 PM; Winter concert postponed
Janesville: Dismissing at 12:50 PM; After school activities canceled
Linn-Mar: All district buildings closing at 6 PM
Marshalltown: Dismissing 2 hours early
MFL-Mar-Mac: Dismissing at 1:20 PM
New Hampton: Dismissing 2 hours early
North Fayette Valley: Dismissing at 1 PM; All district buildings closed after 2:30 PM
South Hardin: Dismissing 2 hours early
North Tama: Dismissing 2 hours early
South Winneshiek: Dismissing 2 hours early
Starmont: Dismissing at 1 PM
Sumner-Fredericksburg: Dismissing 2 hours early; Thursday morning activities and practices canceled
Timothy Christian (Wellsburg): Dismissing at 12:45 PM
Tripoli: Dismissing at 12:45 PM
Turkey Valley: Dismissing 2 hours early
Union Community: Dismissing at 1 PM
Upper Iowa University-Waterloo Center: Closing at 3 PM; All evening classes being held virtually
Wapsie Valley: Dismissing 2 hours early

West Central: Dismissing 2 hours early; No evening activities

TIPS: Here's how you can prepare for power outages

LOOK: The most expensive weather and climate disasters in recent decades

Stacker ranked the most expensive climate disasters by the billions since 1980 by the total cost of all damages, adjusted for inflation, based on 2021 data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The list starts with Hurricane Sally, which caused $7.3 billion in damages in 2020, and ends with a devastating 2005 hurricane that caused $170 billion in damage and killed at least 1,833 people. Keep reading to discover the 50 of the most expensive climate disasters in recent decades in the U.S.

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