The National Weather Service in Raleigh issued a winter storm alert for Alamance County from midnight tomorrow until 7 am. The NWS projects up to 0.5 inches of ice buildup.
Governor Roy Cooper also issued a state of emergency for North Carolina before the storm due to the potential for power outages. Duke Energy projects nearly 1 million power cuts in North Carolina and South Carolina.
Elon University will be closed tomorrow, before the winter storm forecast to hit the state of North Carolina. Classes will be canceled, both on the main campus and at Elon Law in Greensboro, and the university’s offices will be closed.
According to an email from the vice president for student Jon Dooley’s life, the faculty should contact students regarding classes and class work. Dooley wrote that power and internet outages can affect the ability to take classes or assignments online.
According to university spokesman Owen Covington, Elon’s Psychic Plant is taking steps to ensure campus safety during the storm.
“The physical plant team is preparing for winter and the expected ice build-up through a series of activities on campus. They are preparing generators in several campus buildings, including cafeterias, to provide power and heating in the event of a power outage. Teams are pre-treating sidewalks to help reduce the impact of ice buildup and distributing needed supplies across the campus, such as salt, shovels and other necessary equipment. In addition, the Physical Plant is preparing to ensure that it has adequate personnel during the storm and taking steps to host team members if they are unable to return home due to the weather.
The antigen test, as part of the weekly COVID-19 test, was canceled for Thursday, according to the email. Students will be contacted about rescheduling the test.
Alamance County Emergency Management is monitoring the weather and increasing staff, according to a department representative. It is suggesting that residents are prepared for the first 72 hours of the storm and that response teams can take that long to reach their area depending on the damage.