Dear parents and families,

We held our hurricane crisis management briefing this afternoon. Based on the information from the National Weather Service meteorologist and the other experts, it looks like the storm is weakening. We still expect a good deal of rain, but fortunately the winds do not appear to be as concerning as originally feared.

It is likely that the decision to hold classes on Monday will stand. Our best estimate is that less than 20% of resident students elected to leave campus for the storm. In the event that your student left campus this weekend, we want them to return in the safest way possible and understand that some may experience slow road travel or flight delays. We encourage students to communicate with their faculty as soon as possible in the event they are delayed in their return. Faculty are being made aware that some students may have travel complications.

We also recognize that there are many in our campus family who have been directly impacted by this storm. If your family has been impacted and you want to make Wake Forest aware of it, please email parents@wfu.edu and please write “Impact” in the subject line so we can quickly see that. We will share that information with offices on campus so they are aware of the impact to your student.

That’s all the news I have for you as of now, but we’ll send out a mid-day update tomorrow, or as weather conditions necessitate.

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. We encourage students, faculty and staff to prioritize safety, remain aware of weather conditions and take the duration of this storm seriously.

At this time, we are still planning to resume classes and normal operations on Monday, Sept. 17.

The latest forecast from the National Weather Service indicates that Florence is weakening. Forecasts predict 6-10 inches of rain; however, winds in excess of 30 miles per hour are increasingly less likely. Winston-Salem/Forsyth County conditions will vary significantly depending on the speed and track of the storm, both of which continue to be difficult to predict.

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

Wake Forest will provide a mid-day update tomorrow, or as weather conditions necessitate.

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.