South Florida experienced strong winds and an abundance of rainfall during a severe storm on Nov. 15, 2023. Many people who were driving were at risk of crashing, as there was a high risk of flooding. The rain continued throughout the entire day, which caused problems with power outages. Many schools in Broward County shut down for Nov. 16, since the affects were said to continue on to the next day. Private schools Carrollton, Immaculata-La Salle, and Ransom Everglades in Miami-Dade County cancelled school as well. Miami-Dade County Public Schools, however, stayed open.

This could be dangerous, as buses are only able to withstand winds up to 35 mph. The winds on Nov. 16 reached up to 40 mph. These high winds can cause traffic accidents, which pose a threat for the students who go to school on a bus and the people near the bus. There were also many advisories issued for the storm, including high wind and coastal flooding warnings.

The buses are not the only vehicles at risk, as cars were also affected by the flooding. On the way to school, many students likely saw a car stuck on the side of the road due to water, and possibly, they themselves may have gotten stuck in the flooding. The risk of crashing while driving on slippery roads are much higher than regular driving.

According to the Federal Highway Administration, there are approximately 5,891,000, probably more, car crashes every year, and about 21% of that (1,235,000) are weather related. The risk is also higher since every parent is trying to get to school to drop their child off, increasing accident likelihood even more than if it were just raining, which is already more risky than regular driving. Miami-Dade County made a risky decision allowing schools to be open under these dangerous conditions.