Tropical Storm Florence Update

September 15, 2018 12:43 p.m.

Wake Forest University continues to monitor the track of Tropical Storm Florence and its impact to the campus community. Florence continues to move very slowly and was downgraded to a tropical storm last night. Significant rainfall and increased winds are expected to begin here this afternoon, and we urge everyone to prioritize safety, remain alert and take the duration of this storm seriously.

The latest forecast from the National Weather Service indicates 6-10 inches of rain and winds of 15-30 mph with gusts up to 35-40 mph for the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County area over the next several days. Local emergency managers continue to prepare for rain, winds, potential flooding and possible power outages. The Reynolda Campus and Wake Downtown are not in flood prone areas, but flash flooding is expected in parts of the region throughout the weekend and into early next week.

The slow path of the storm has made the timing of its impact on our area especially difficult to predict. We appreciate the cooperation, support and flexibility of our students, faculty and staff. At this time, we are still planning to resume classes and normal operations on Monday, Sept. 17. We will continue to monitor conditions and provide the next update by 8 p.m. tonight, or as weather conditions necessitate.

Power on campus has been reliable to this point and campus services remain available to students, as previously communicated. Facilities and Campus Services staff are working diligently to monitor and address any storm-related impacts on campus.

In the event that off-campus students’ housing becomes uninhabitable (i.e. prolonged power outages, wind damage, flooding, etc.), please contact University Police at 336-758-5591 to reach Residence Life and Housing staff on-call over the weekend. Though we are hoping we won’t need to use it, the University is making preparations to accommodate off-campus students if their housing becomes uninhabitable.

Students returning to campus from outside this area should continue to monitor roadways, airports and regional weather conditions. Students should work with faculty if they anticipate being delayed in returning to campus.

All Hurricane Florence-related updates will be posted on the Wake Alert website (wakealert.wfu.edu). Please continue to monitor the Wake Alert website, follow @WakeAlert on Twitter and Facebook (facebook.com/WakeAlert), and add the Wake Forest Weather/Emergency line (336-758-5935) to phone contacts.

Wake Forest Communications and External Relations