Monroe County schools are closed today due to expected high winds in the Upper Keys from Hurricane Sandy, according to a press release from the Sheriff's Office issued Thursday night.

Schools Superintendent Mark Porter decided to close schools countywide because it may not have been safe for buses on Upper Keys roadways, the release says.

The Upper Keys may experience tropical storm-force winds and heavy rains today as Hurricane Sandy passes to the east.

The area was under a tropical storm watch, with a tropical storm warning issued for adjacent waters.

As of 11 p.m. Thursday, Sandy was passing near Eleuthera Island in the northwestern Bahamas with sustained winds of 90 mph, a Category 1. A tropical storm warning was in effect down to Ocean Reef.

UPPER KEYS FROM OCEAN REEF TO CRAIG KEY

• FLORIDA BAY