Dear parents and families,

We continue to be saddened by the images we are seeing from the coast and areas impacted by the heavy rains and flooding from Hurricane Florence. There are many Wake Forest alumni, parents, and friends in the impacted areas, and our hearts go out to everyone who is suffering through this storm. We are with you in spirit.

Looking out my window, it is gray, the rain has been somewhere between light and moderate, and there has been a steady breeze all morning. As you will see from the message we sent out to students today, we anticipate seeing the impact of Florence for the next several days by way of significant rain and increasing winds. While some of my colleagues in town lost power temporarily, we are fortunate that power on campus has been reliable to this point.

At this time, we are still planning to resume classes and normal operations on Monday. We will continue to monitor conditions and provide the next update by 8 p.m. tonight, or as weather conditions necessitate.

Please continue to send your prayers and positive thoughts to all who are suffering the worst from Florence.

Betsy Chapman (‘92, MA ‘94)
Executive Director of Family Communication and Volunteer Management

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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

 

Contact

To contact the Office of Family Engagement or Family Communications, please visit our contact page.

 

For mental health assistance: 336-758-CARE (2273) is a service that ensures someone will always be available (i.e., 24/7 M-F, weekends and university holidays) to provide caring and thoughtful consultation services for Wake Forest students in need of mental health assistance or support.