Polk State is monitoring potential Tropical Cyclone Nine

Posted on by Polk Newsroom

Polk State College is monitoring potential Tropical Cyclone Nine and encourages students, faculty, staff, and members of the community to stay connected for updates from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the College.

As of 8 p.m. Monday, the weather disturbance was southwest of Grand Cayman. Strengthening is expected during the next few days, and the system is forecast to become a hurricane on Wednesday. Forecast tracks currently show landfall along the northern Gulf Coast from Louisiana to Florida. Current expected impacts to Polk County include localized flooding and high winds.

The College will continue to monitor the storm but at this time it is too soon to know of any impacts to College or collegiate high school operations. Updates will be provided on polk.edu. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Polk State urges everyone to sign up for AlertPolk and monitor messaging from Polk County Emergency Management, Florida Division of Emergency Management, and the National Hurricane Center.

College officials also encourage students, faculty, and staff to ensure their contact information in Passport is up to date to receive emergency alerts from Polk State. Students should check under “My Details” and employees should check under “Personal” and “Change Contact Info.” Numbers entered in the “Cellular Number” field in the “Personal Information” section will be used for emergency voice and text messages. Although the College has recently transitioned from Passport to the Polk Portal for registration and financial aid, it is important to note that the emergency notification system is still connected to Passport, which remains accessible to students, faculty, and staff at this time.

Additionally, individuals are encouraged to review information on the Polk County Emergency Management website regarding emergency preparedness, emergency and special needs shelters, and more.