Polk State is monitoring Tropical Storm Laura

Polk State is tracking Tropical Storm Laura 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.

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

As of 2 p.m. Friday, Laura was moving at approximately 18 mph and approaching the Leeward Islands. The tropical storm, with maximum sustained winds near 45 mph extending outward to 150 miles, is projected to move toward Puerto Rico Saturday morning and the northern coast of Hispaniola late Saturday into early Sunday, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The details of the long-range track and intensity forecasts remain uncertain. However, Laura could bring storm surge, rainfall, and wind impacts to portions of Cuba, the Bahamas, and Florida early next week.

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.