Skip to main content
Appalachian Today
News and events at Appalachian State University
  • For the media
  • COVID updates
  • Contact
  • Events
  • Webcams
  • Podcasts
  • In the Media
  • Grants
  • Speakers
  • All Posts
  • Topics
  • Accolades
  • Alumni
  • Arts and Humanities
  • Athletics
  • Awards and Honors
  • Community Engagement
  • Diversity
  • Events
  • Faculty and Staff
  • Gifts and Grants
  • Global
  • Health and Wellness
  • Publications
  • Research
  • Safety
  • Scholarships
  • Students
  • Sustainability
☰ Menu
  • Events
  • Webcams
  • Podcasts
  • In the Media
  • Grants
  • Speakers
  • All Posts
  • Topics
  • For the media
  • COVID updates
  • Contact

Appalachian’s Emergency Management gives Saturday update on Florence; encourages planning, safety, staying informed

View larger image

Image courtesy of NOAA

By Megan Hayes
Posted Sep. 15, 2018 at 6:09 p.m.

BOONE, N.C. — With confidence increasing for the Boone area to experience significant heavy rainfall, flooding and damaging winds, Appalachian State University continues encouraging preparation while monitoring the Florence storm track.

The university canceled classes and academic obligations for Monday, Sept. 17, and Tuesday, Sept. 18. A message to campus posted on the university’s emergency alert website stated, “the safety of students, faculty and staff traveling to campus is paramount.” For non-faculty employees, Adverse Weather Policy is in effect at Condition 1 (Reduced Operations) Monday and Tuesday. Further decisions about employee status will be made by 5 p.m. Sunday. Keep up with the latest information at AppStateAlert.com.

“Please know the forecast is still developing, but we are encouraging continued preparation,” Director of Environmental Health, Safety and Emergency Management Jason Marshburn said in a message to campus Saturday afternoon. “We will provide regular updates as we learn more about the storm track and what this will mean for our campus, our off-campus students, faculty and staff, and the surrounding area.”

“In accordance with established emergency readiness plans, the university continues to prepare,” Marshburn said. He cited a number of preparations, including checking and clearing roof and storm drains; extra supplies, including food, water, sandbags and gravel on hand and in place; and putting personnel in place to stay on campus and on call during storm. Additionally, Marshburn said, “The university is coordinating with local and state partners in the event emergency response plans need to be implemented.”

Marshburn emphasized that residence halls and dining facilities will remain open. Residence halls are being carefully monitored and dining facilities have stocked up on extra food and water, he said.

Additionally, the university set up a temporary shelter for off-campus students, faculty and staff in need of safe shelter. The Quinn Center, located at 303 Stadium Drive, will open at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 15.

Marshburn encouraged those planning to attend campus events to check event websites and with presenters, as many previously scheduled campus events have been postponed or canceled.

During the time that classes are canceled, gates to restricted parking areas on campus are lifted and students, faculty, staff and the public can park in those lots.

As some parking lots on campus are prone to flooding, Marshburn advises to always be mindful of signage. “As inclement weather develops, parking and traffic staff are posting warning signs in lots prone to flooding,” he said, citing in particular:

  • Beasley Broadcasting Complex
  • Depot Street Gravel Lot
  • Peacock Lot
  • Duncan Lot
  • Center Street (spaces between Steam Plant and tennis courts)
  • Legends Lot
  • State Farm Lot
  • Levine Hall Lot

All lots will be monitored and signs may be posted in additional lots if necessary, Marshburn said.

Marshburn said it is unlikely campus will lose power, but he encourages those staying on and off campus to prepare in the event of a power outage. “Make sure your phone is charged and you have batteries on hand in case you need them,” he said.

New River Light & Power (NRLP), which serves much of the Boone area, is making preparations to help and/or receive assistance from other utilities across the state. They will be updating their social media sites (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram). NRLP customers with questions related to electric service or who need to report an outage should call 828-264-3671.

Key messages to campus from Marshburn’s message include:

What you should do

Prepare and plan

  • Discuss with your family and significant other: if you had to evacuate from your home, where would you go and how would you get there?
  • Make sure you have more than one way to communicate.
  • Charge your phones and essential electronics.
  • Fill up water bottles from your sink — you don’t have to buy bottled water.
  • Consider where you have parked your car. On campus, some lots are prone to flooding.
  • Stay calm, and have a plan — it’s always good to have a readiness kit.

Be safe

  • Our biggest concern is rain. Heavy rainfall can bring with it the potential for landslides and flooding.
  • Unless absolutely necessary, don’t drive in severe weather.
  • NEVER drive through flooded streets or around barricades — they are there to protect people from danger.
  • Fast-moving water, even if it is pretty shallow, is dangerous. It takes only 6 inches of fast-moving water to knock over an adult. 12 inches of rushing water can carry away a small car, and 2 feet can carry away most vehicles.
  • Tornadoes aren’t common in this area, but there is a small chance we might see some. Be sure you know how you would get alerts at night.
  • Resist the urge to throw large objects into storm drains and fast-moving water. This causes flooding hazards and is unsafe for maintenance workers who are trying to keep drains clear of obstructions.

Stay informed

  • Stay alert for messages that will be sent to you via your appstate email.
  • Register for text alerts at http://appstatealert.com.
  • Messages related to class closings and cancellations are emailed, posted to appstatealert.com, distributed to local media and posted to university Facebook and Twitter accounts.
  • Use reliable sources — monitor AppStateAlert.com and appstate email addresses for important university updates. Watauga County Emergency Management and Boone Police have official social media accounts — be sure you know where your information is coming from.
  • Visit ReadyNC.org and/or download the ReadyNC mobile app for helpful tips and safety information.
  • Visit National Weather Service or National Hurricane Center websites for weather forecast and safety information.

Links for further information

  • AppState-ALERT
  • ReadyNC
  • National Weather Service Florence Briefing Page
Update on Hurricane Florence
Update on Hurricane Florence
Sep. 15, 2018

A message from Jason Marshburn, director of Environmental Health, Safety, and Emergency Management at Appalachian State University.

Read the message to campus

About Appalachian State University

As the premier public undergraduate institution in the Southeast, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives as global citizens who understand and engage their responsibilities in creating a sustainable future for all. The Appalachian Experience promotes a spirit of inclusion that brings people together in inspiring ways to acquire and create knowledge, to grow holistically, to act with passion and determination, and to embrace diversity and difference. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Appalachian is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System. Appalachian enrolls nearly 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and graduate majors.

What do you think?

Share your feedback on this story.

Share

Topics

  • Safety

What do you think?

Share your feedback on this story.

Archives

Appalachian Today is an online publication of Appalachian State University. This website consolidates university news, feature stories, events, photo galleries, videos and podcasts.

The migration of materials from other sites is still incomplete, so if you cannot find what you're looking for here, please refer to the following sources:

  • Additional feature stories may be found at Appalachian Magazine
  • Podcasts may be found at Appalachian Magazine
  • Photo galleries and videos published prior to Jan. 1, 2015 may be found at Appalachian Magazine
  • A university-wide Google Calendar may be found at Events at Appalachian

What do you think?

Share your feedback on this story.

Share

Topics

  • Safety

Other Recent Posts

  • Campus emergency siren test to be conducted <span style="white-space: nowrap;">April 5</span>
    Campus emergency siren test to be conducted April 5
  • Troy Johnson named vice chancellor of enrollment management at App State
    Troy Johnson named vice chancellor of enrollment management at App State
  • From waste to wear: App State alumna develops sustainable pigments for fashion, printing industries
    From waste to wear: App State alumna develops sustainable pigments for fashion, printing industries
  • <span style="color: #bc8801;">Appalachian Outdoorosity:</span> Dressing for the Cold (Part 2)
    Appalachian Outdoorosity: Dressing for the Cold (Part 2)
  • Appalachian Journal marks 50 years of spotlighting Appalachia
    Appalachian Journal marks 50 years of spotlighting Appalachia
  • Honoring women’s leadership and history at App State
    Honoring women’s leadership and history at App State
  • Lumbee tribal flag now hangs in App State’s student union, honoring the Lumbee people and their history
    Lumbee tribal flag now hangs in App State’s student union, honoring the Lumbee people and their history
  • Fact check: Mushrooms share more DNA with humans than plants [faculty featured]
    Fact check: Mushrooms share more DNA with humans than plants [faculty featured]
    USA Today
  • Since 1958, App State's Southern Appalachian plant collection has aided research, teaching and conservation
    Since 1958, App State's Southern Appalachian plant collection has aided research, teaching and conservation
  • <span style="color: #bc8801;">SoundAffect:</span> Daniel E. Dawes, JD on how to overcome deep-rooted challenges in the American health care system
    SoundAffect: Daniel E. Dawes, JD on how to overcome deep-rooted challenges in the American health care system
  • App State Office of Diversity brings monthly read-alouds to lab schools
    App State Office of Diversity brings monthly read-alouds to lab schools
  • 5 award-winning authors to visit App State for spring 2023 Hughlene Bostian Frank Visiting Writers Series
    5 award-winning authors to visit App State for spring 2023 Hughlene Bostian Frank Visiting Writers Series

Archives

Appalachian Today is an online publication of Appalachian State University. This website consolidates university news, feature stories, events, photo galleries, videos and podcasts.

The migration of materials from other sites is still incomplete, so if you cannot find what you're looking for here, please refer to the following sources:

  • Additional feature stories may be found at Appalachian Magazine
  • Podcasts may be found at Appalachian Magazine
  • Photo galleries and videos published prior to Jan. 1, 2015 may be found at Appalachian Magazine
  • A university-wide Google Calendar may be found at Events at Appalachian
  • Events
  • Videos
  • Galleries
  • In the Media
  • Grants
  • Speakers
  • All Posts
  • Topics
  • For the media
  • COVID updates
  • Contact

App State

Copyright 2023 Appalachian State University. All rights reserved.

University Communications
ASU Box 32153
Boone, NC 28608
828-262-6156
ucomm@appstate.edu

Abouts

Disclaimer | EO Policy | Accessibility | Website manager: montaldipa (beltmr) .. | Website Feedback

Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram LinkedIn Snapchat