Staff Report

High winds are the likely culprit that left the schools in north Suffolk without power and telephone service Tuesday afternoon.

Power went out around 1:45 p.m. at several schools, including Florence Bowser, Driver, Northern Shores and Nansemond Parkway elementary schools and Nansemond River High School, said Bethanne Bradshaw, spokeswoman for Suffolk Public Schools.

Phone service was also disrupted, she said.

Although all evening activities at the schools were cancelled, school was not dismissed early, Bradshaw said.

&uot;It was manageable and it was so near dismissal time,&uot; she said.

Students in dark classrooms were moved into rooms with windows and the libraries, she said.

It would have taken two hours to get buses into place had the schools closed early, she added.