Cal Poly cancels classes for second day due to storm: ‘A time of emergency’
Cal Poly has canceled classes for a second day due to the severe and deadly winter storm that barreled into the Central Coast on Monday.
The university’s campus was closed Monday, and will remain closed on Tuesday, according to a message from Anthony Knight, Cal Poly’s executive director of public safety.
“Due to the continued storm conditions, campus leadership has decided out of an abundance of caution to close the campus and cancel all in-person and virtual classes, as well as all campus activities, on Tuesday,” Knight’s emailed message said.
The campus will be open for essential operations only, according to Knight.
Those essential operations include food services, housing, police and emergency services, facilities and infrastructure, healthcare and counseling, agricultural care and facilities, IT services and communications, leadership, procurement and contracts, and research, Knight wrote.
Those involved in the essential operations are advised to contact their supervisor for direction, according to Knight.
“We are experiencing a time of emergency, and your safety is our utmost priority,” Knight’s message said. “All campus community members are strongly urged to exercise abundant caution to help keep themselves and others out of harm’s way. Please avoid trails and creeks, and stay off roads whenever possible — both to avoid flooded areas and to ensure that emergency services have necessary access.”
Cal Poly campus evacuations, road closures
On Monday afternoon, Cal Poly sent an emergency evacuation alert to the campus community for those at the university’s agriculture facilities due to the pending breach of Shepherd’s Reservoir.
The small on-campus reservoir overflowed, causing flooding along Stenner Creek Road and Highland Drive, according to the university.
Agricultural facilities including Parker Ranch, the Cal Poly Creamery, Poultry Science Complex, Dairy Science Complex, meat processing, corporate warehouse, tech park, vet science and feral cat rescue were evacuated on Monday, according to university spokesman Matt Lazier.
There are several Cal Poly buildings with significant flooding, Lazier noted in an email to The Tribune on Monday. These include the west Engineering building, Farm Shop and the Architecture building.
Agricultural housing also flooded on Monday, and 28 residents were evacuated, according to Lazier.
Highland Drive at Mt. Bishop Road on campus is closed, as well as Stenner Creek Road at Highway 1, Via Carta and Village Drive, and Sports Complex Road, Lazier wrote in his email to The Tribune.
“Displaced students and stranded employees are being directed to the Performing Arts Center,” Lazier wrote. “A housing liaison will be there to assist. The assistance center at the PAC has been opened to support displaced campus community members or local residents.”
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This story was originally published January 9, 2023 at 4:30 PM with the headline "Cal Poly cancels classes for second day due to storm: ‘A time of emergency’."
