Polk State College is tracking Tropical Storm Idalia

Posted on by Polk Newsroom

UPDATE Monday, August 28, 6:30 p.m. Based on the 5 p.m. report from Polk County Emergency Management, Tropical Storm Idalia continues to strengthen and is expected to form into a major hurricane by the time it makes landfall in Florida on Wednesday. While the storm is currently expected to make landfall near Cedar Key, Polk County is expected to accumulate 4 to 6 inches of rain over an 18– to 24-hour period and have a threat of tornadoes and high winds beginning Tuesday evening.

In an abundance of caution, Polk State College and its collegiate high schools will close at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, August 29, and remain closed through Wednesday, August 30. The College is expected to reopen on Thursday, August 31. Polk State’s Emergency Management Team continues to meet and will determine whether an extension of the closure is needed by Wednesday afternoon.

Students are encouraged to communicate with their instructors, check Canvas, and their my.polk.edu email accounts for updates on classes and assignments.

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.

Additionally, individuals are encouraged to review information on the Polk County Emergency Management website regarding hurricane preparedness, emergency and special needs shelters, and more. Please note that Polk County’s sandbag fill sites are open Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The College will continue to monitor the storm and will provide updates on polk.edu, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

ORIGINAL POST Monday, August 28, 8:40 a.m. Polk State College is tracking Tropical Storm Idalia 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.

Polk State’s Student Activities & Leadership Office’s Welcome Week events for the Lakeland Campus have been postponed until next week. They will now be held from September 5 to September 7 from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. each day, at the Student Mall.

There are no other changes to College operations at this time. Polk State will continue to monitor the storm and will provide updates on polk.edu, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

As of reports from 5 a.m. Monday, Idalia is expected to be in or over western Cuba on Monday night, over the southeastern Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday and reach the Gulf Coast of Florida on Wednesday.

Idalia is forecast to become a hurricane later today and a dangerous major hurricane over northeastern Gulf of Mexico by early Wednesday.

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.

Additionally, individuals are encouraged to review information on the Polk County Emergency Management website regarding hurricane preparedness, emergency and special needs shelters, and more. Please note that Polk County’s sandbag fills site are open starting Monday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.