Polk State urges students and employees to exercise caution in storm

Update Monday, August 5, 2024:

Polk State College operations are taking place as normal Monday; however, students and employees are urged to exercise caution while traveling to and from campuses.

Students should communicate with their professors and employees should communicate with their supervisors as needed.

The Emergency Management Team continues to monitor campuses and operations, and will provide updates via Polk State email, polk.edu, and social media.

Update Sunday, August 4, 2024:

Polk State College operations have not been impacted by this weekend’s storms. Classes and operations will take place as scheduled on Monday.

Students and employees are encouraged to exercise caution traveling to and from campuses.

The Emergency Management Team continues to monitor campuses and operations, and will provide updates via Polk State email, polk.edu, and social media if needed.

Original Post Friday, August 2, 2024:

Polk State College is monitoring Tropical Cyclone Four. No changes have been made to College operations at this time, but Polk State highly 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.

The National Hurricane Center’s 2 p.m. advisory on Friday reported Tropical Cyclone Four about 30 miles southeast of Cuba and 360 miles southeast of Key West moving at 16 mph with maximum sustained winds at 30 mph. A tropical storm watch is in effect for Polk County with a peak wind forecast between 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 20 mph.

Polk State urges everyone to sign up for AlertPolk and monitor messaging from Polk County Emergency Management, the 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.

Polk State urges anyone traveling to and from campuses on Saturday and Sunday to exercise extra caution. Staff will be on-site assessing any potential impacts to College locations. Any updates to operations will be shared via polk.edu, social media, and Polk State email.