Posted on by Polk Newsroom
UPDATE 2:07 P.M. MONDAY: Polk State College and its collegiate high school offices will be closed Tuesday, October 8, through Friday, October 11, due to Hurricane Milton. The College has made the decision to remain closed on Friday as projections show that the storm has slowed down, with impacts to Polk County expected later than originally anticipated.
While College offices will be closed, remote instruction on Tuesday may be maintained. Students are encouraged to check their Canvas and my.polk.edu email accounts for communication from their professors regarding Tuesday classes. Instruction for online and the remote portion of hybrid classes may take place as scheduled on Tuesday, and some in-person courses may be moved online. Professors will communicate with their students about modality and will exercise flexibility with students who may encounter impacts of the storm, such as power and internet outages.
There will be no classes held on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday. Students, faculty, staff, and visitors should not return to campuses until an all clear message has been sent out by the College.
All College events and activities during this period have been canceled, including the College’s groundbreaking ceremony for the Haines City-Davenport Campus originally scheduled for Wednesday, October 9. The Somos Polk event scheduled for Tuesday, October 8, on the Winter Haven Campus has been canceled. The College will share an update if the Somos Polk event is rescheduled. Additionally, FallFest scheduled for Saturday, October 12, has been canceled and a new date will be announced if rescheduled.
Polk State’s Emergency Management Team continues to meet regularly to monitor Milton and ensure timely decision-making for the College’s safety and security. Students, faculty, staff, and community members should stay connected to updates from theNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)and the College.
As of 1 p.m. Monday, Milton was located about 700 miles southwest of Tampa with maximum sustained winds of 175 mph. The storm is moving at approximately 9 mph, according to NOAA. Milton is forecast to rapidly intensify during the next couple of days and become a major hurricane on Monday. The primary threat to Polk County will be heavy rainfall with localized flooding and tropical-force winds.
A flood watch is in effect for Polk County through Thursday morning, according to Polk County Emergency Management. Sandbag sites are open across the County from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday:
- Mulberry/South Lakeland – Loyce E. Harpe Park, 500 W. Carter Road, Mulberry
- Lakeland – 8970 N. Campbell Road, Lakeland
- Fort Meade – 1061 NE 9th St., Fort Meade
- Frostproof – 350 County Road 630A, Frostproof
- Auburndale – 1701 Holt Road, Auburndale
- Dundee – 805 Dr. Martin Luther King St. SW, Dundee
- Poinciana Park – 5109 Allegheny Road, Kissimmee 34759
Polk State urges everyone to sign up forAlertPolkand monitor messaging fromPolk County Emergency Management,Florida Division of Emergency Management, and theNational 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 websiteregarding emergency preparedness, emergency and special needs shelters, and more.
ORIGINAL POST 8:39 P.M. SUNDAY: Polk State College and its collegiate high school offices will be closed Tuesday, October 8, through Thursday, October 10, due to Hurricane Milton. While College offices will be closed, remote instruction on Tuesday may be maintained. Students are encouraged to check their Canvas and my.polk.edu email accounts for communication from their professors regarding Tuesday classes. Instruction for online and the remote portion of hybrid classes may take place as scheduled on Tuesday, October 8, and some in-person courses may be moved online. Professors will communicate with their students about modality and will exercise flexibility with students who may encounter impacts of the storm, such as power and internet outages.
There will be no classes held on Wednesday or Thursday.
All College events and activities during this period have been canceled, including the College’s groundbreaking ceremony for the Haines City-Davenport Campus originally scheduled for Wednesday, October 9, which has been rescheduled for Tuesday, October 15. Additionally, the Somos Polk event scheduled for Tuesday, October 8, on the Winter Haven Campus has been canceled. The College will share an update if the Somos Polk event is rescheduled.
Polk State’s Emergency Management Team is meeting regularly to monitor Milton and ensure timely updates and decision-making for the College’s safety and security. Students, faculty, staff, and community members should stay connected to updates from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the College.
As of 4 p.m. Sunday, Milton was located about 805 miles west southwest of Tampa with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph. The storm is moving at approximately 7 mph, according to NOAA. Milton is forecast to rapidly intensify during the next couple of days and become a major hurricane on Monday. The primary threat to Polk County will be heavy rainfall with localized flooding and tropical-force winds. The main time for impacts will begin late Tuesday night into early Wednesday and last throughout much of the day on Wednesday.
A flood watch is in effect for Polk County through Thursday morning, according to Polk County Emergency Management. Sandbag sites are open across the County from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday:
- Mulberry/South Lakeland – Loyce E. Harpe Park, 500 W. Carter Road, Mulberry
- Lakeland – 8970 N. Campbell Road, Lakeland
- Fort Meade – 1061 NE 9th St., Fort Meade
- Frostproof – 350 County Road 630A, Frostproof
- Auburndale – 1701 Holt Road, Auburndale
- Dundee – 805 Dr. Martin Luther King St. SW, Dundee
- Poinciana Park – 5109 Allegheny Road, Kissimmee 34759
Polk State urges everyone to sign up forAlertPolkand monitor messaging fromPolk County Emergency Management,Florida Division of Emergency Management, and theNational 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 thePolk County Emergency Management websiteregarding emergency preparedness, emergency and special needs shelters, and more.