Hurricane Helene Updates

IMG Academy Parents,

Good morning from IMG Academy! Hurricane Helene and its wind and rain have moved out of our area, and we continue to assess any damage to campus. Here is our return-to-campus plan for today and the weekend:

• Student-athletes off campus will be allowed to return to campus today at noon ET.
• Optional sport and APD delivery will begin at 1 p.m. ET. Please know this will not be a normal, full delivery as we have a number of student-athletes and team members who have evacuated or will not be able to make it back to campus due to storm-related impacts outside of IMG Academy. Communication around scheduling and programming will come from your respective sport programs as start times vary by sport.
• Breakfast for student-athletes who remained on campus is currently being served in the Campus Center, followed by normal hours for lunch and dinner. Wahlburgers, Primos, and the bakery will be open today with normal operating hours.
• As a reminder, today is an asynchronous e-learning through student-athletes' Blackbaud accounts

If you have any additional questions or concerns, please reach out to directly to Parent Relations.

IMG Academy Parents,

We hope you have found the regular updates from Parent Relations and IMGAcademy.com helpful. The worst of Hurricane Helene has now passed our area with minimal impacts to campus. We plan to conduct a final assessment of our facilities first thing tomorrow morning before announcing any return to campus for our student-athletes and team members.

There are a number of activities planned for the remainder of the evening in the dorms. Breakfast for student-athletes who remained on campus will begin at 7 a.m. in the Campus Center, followed by normal hours for lunch and dinner. Wahlburgers, Primos, and the bakery will be open tomorrow with normal operating.

As a reminder, tomorrow will be asynchronous e-learning though student-athletes' Blackbaud accounts. We anticipate this being the final storm-related update this evening. If you have any additional questions or concerns, please reach out to directly to Parent Relations.

IMG Academy Parents,

As Hurricane Helene begins to move past the Bradenton area, our campus is beginning to experience stronger winds and rain from the storm's outer bands. Neither has been strong enough to impact our operations and we are safely transporting student-athletes from the dorms to the Campus Center and back while we serve dinner. Many of our student-athletes are also enjoying activities in the Campus Center and dorms, including video games, board games, and movies.

Dinner will continue through 7 p.m. and the Campus Center will remain open until 8 p.m. At that time all student-athletes will be safely transported back to their dorms for the evening.

We will provide our next update on IMGAcademy.com at 9 p.m. ET.

The IMG Academy campus continues to feel only minimal impacts from Hurricane Helene as it continues to move NNE through the Gulf of Mexico and well off the coast of Florida. We have seen only 0.2 inches of rainfall and wind speeds have not yet exceeded 40mph. All buildings still have full power and there has not yet been any reported damage. Below are additional updates:

• Student-athletes continue to relax and enjoy activities in both the Campus Center and dorms.
• Dinner will be served in the Campus Center beginning at 4:30 p.m. through 7 p.m.
• Out of an abundance of caution, we will safely transport student-athletes from the dorms to the Campus Center throughout the duration of the dinner window.
• The Campus Center will close at 8 p.m. and all student-athletes will transition back to their dorms for the remainder of the evening.

We will continue to keep you updated throughout the evening here on IMGAcademy.com. The next update will be at 6 p.m. ET.

Hurricane Helene continues to move NNE at 14 mph through the Gulf of Mexico with an expected landfall this evening in the Big Bend or panhandle of Florida.

At IMG Academy, conditions thus far have been mild – we have received less than 0.2 inches of rain and sustained winds remain under 25 mph. Student-athletes are relaxing in either their dorms or in the Campus Center and have access to brunch, lunch, movies, board games, and more. Some additional updates since our 9 a.m. post:

• We will open the bubble on West Campus from 1-3 p.m. for student-athletes to enjoy additional activities while weather allows, including dodgeball and spike ball.
• Out of an abundance of caution, transportation will take student-athletes directly from the Campus Center to the bubble and back.
• Optional transportation is also available from the dorms to the Campus Center if conditions begin to deteriorate and student-athletes prefer not to walk in wind and rain.

Our next update will be posted to IMGAcademy.com at 3 p.m. ET.

IMG Academy Parents,

Good morning from IMG Academy! Hurricane Helene continues to move NNE in the Gulf with currently only intermittent rain and light winds impacting our area. The latest forecast shows a landfall this evening in the Big Bend area of Florida with the heaviest wind and rain to our area expected early evening. Here are your 9 a.m. ET updates:

• At this time, conditions allow for student-athletes to still move freely from the dorms to the Campus Center where we will be serving breakfast throughout the morning.
• At 10 a.m. ET the Campus Center will open for student-athletes to enjoy games and activities, with additional activities planned for those who prefer to remain in the dorms. We have transportation to safely transport student-athletes to and from the dorms.
• Additional activities in the dorms today, include:
  • Movies and popcorn
  • Ping pong and video game tournaments
  • Card games and board games
  • Arts and crafts
• E-learning will be asynchronous and on student-athletes' Blackbaud accounts

Moving forward we will provide updates every three hours on IMGAcademy.com. The next update will be at noon ET.

Campus preparations continue in advance of potential impacts from Hurricane Helene. IMG Academy is outside of the forecasted path of the storm, but wind and rain from the hurricane's outer bands are expected throughout the day tomorrow. We have been proactively planning and preparing for this scenario and want you to be aware of the following:

1. IMG Academy will transition to hurricane operation mode beginning at midnight. At that time, we kindly ask any student-athletes who are off campus to remain off campus until you receive an official communication from IMG Academy that it is safe to return.
2. If you elect to sign out your student-athlete out of an abundance of caution, please fill out the REACH form and the Anticipated Absence Form. If your student-athlete missed school Wednesday for travel reasons you can put in the Absence Type Requested = Family Concerns/Emergency, then Reason For Absence = Hurricane.
3. We are bringing approximately 100 additional team members to campus, including many members of our senior leadership team, to support operations and take all necessary steps to ensure the safety of the remaining student-athletes before, during, and after the storm.
4. All student-athletes still on campus will remain in their dorms during the strongest parts of the storm. Many of our buildings, including the dorms, are rated for up to a Category 5 hurricane, which is significantly stronger than the anticipated impacts from Hurricane Helene. We will not be evacuating to a location outside of IMG Academy.
5. The Campus Center will remain open throughout the day today. The Campus Center has a full generator back-up should we have a power outage, and we have plans in place to provide student-athletes with regular meals throughout the day tomorrow. If weather conditions do not allow for regular meal delivery, we have alternate plans to provide student-athletes with meals. Additional food and beverages have already been delivered to the dorms for tomorrow.
6. Health Services will remain on campus and has the flexibility to support any medical needs and dispense medication to your student-athlete in the dorms, if necessary.
7. IMG Academy plans to host two Manatee County First In Teams (FIT) throughout the hurricane. Each team consists of 10 Manatee County staff members: 2 Deputy Sheriffs, 2 EMS providers, 2 Firefighters/EMT, 2 Public Works, 2 Florida Power & Lights. Having this team on campus further supports our decision to shelter-in-place and assists Manatee County.
8. We will regularly communicate with you throughout the storm tomorrow to ease any concerns you may have about the safety of your student-athlete. All updates will be posted on IMGAcademy.com in the event conditions do not allow us to send you emails.
9. As a reminder, student-athletes will participate in virtual e-learning tomorrow and Friday. All APD and Sport delivery will be cancelled on Thursday and Friday early morning. We will make a decision on delivery for the remainder of Friday for student-athletes who remain on campus once we assess any damage from the storm.

We understand and appreciate concerns you may have and are here to answer questions. If you have questions, please contact Mary Pando in Parent Relations and we will answer them for you.

Here are some additional helpful resources for storm preparations and updates:

• https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/
• https://www.mymanatee.org/departments/public_safety/emergency_management

The latest forecasts for Tropical Storm Helene show the storm strengthening into a hurricane as it enters the eastern Gulf of Mexico and making landfall near the Big Bend area of Florida on Thursday. Given the potential for high winds, heavy rain, and potential for flooding that may occur across the region, we wanted to update you on our preparations and planning.

Postponement of Parents Weekend / Homecoming

• Out of an abundance of caution, and due to anticipated weather-related travel issues for a significant number of families and staff, Parents Weekend and Homecoming have been postponed. We will communicate a new date in the coming weeks. The College Fair during Parents Weekend has been cancelled. We're exploring opportunities to host a College Fair in the spring.

Academics / APD / Sports

• The Academic Center will be closed on Thursday, Sept. 26 and student-athletes will participate in virtual e-learning. Friday, Sept. 27, was already scheduled to be an e-learning day and there are no changes to that plan.
• All APD and Sport delivery will be cancelled on Thursday and Friday early morning. We will make a decision on delivery for the remainder of Friday for student-athletes who remain on campus once we assess damage from the storm.
• Families should stay in close contact with their respective sport leadership about planned competitions this upcoming weekend.
• We anticipate normal delivery beginning Monday, Sept. 30 and will communicate an official decision once we assess any damage to campus.

Student-Athlete Sign Out / Campus Preparation

• If you choose to sign out your student-athlete out of an abundance of caution, please go through the proper procedure of having your student-athlete submit a Reach request so we can keep exact records of the student-athletes who remain on campus. Any absences on Wednesday, Sept. 25, for reasons due to travel will be excused by academics, sports, and APD.
• If you are unable to sign your student-athlete out, please know that their safety is our top priority. Rest assured knowing that our buildings are rated for Category 5 storms and are some of the safest in the county. We are also prepared with food, water, and supplies.
• Student-athletes are recommended to remain in the dorms during the strongest parts of the storm.
• We have plans in place for all student-athletes to be safely situated in dorms that are equipped with generators during the strongest parts of the storm, and we have team members on-campus who will supervise the student-athletes before, during, and after the storm.
• Health Services will remain on-campus and has the flexibility to support any medical needs and dispense medication to our student-athlete, if necessary.

The Hurricane Task Force is meeting multiple times each day and will continue to provide updates through Parent Relations and IMGAcademy.com.

We are closely monitoring Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine and its potential impact on Florida this week. There are a lot of unknowns with this storm including timing, intensity, and landfall location. Currently, models are forecasting a potential hurricane quickly developing in the Gulf of Mexico early this week and making landfall somewhere between Mississippi and the west coast of Florida on Thursday or Friday.

There are currently no changes planned to regular school and sport delivery, and this week's Parents Weekend and Homecoming events. We will continue to closely monitor the storm and communicate any potential programming impacts once we have better modeling and a better sense of what any impacts to our campus may be.

Please know the safety of our student-athletes, guests and team members is our top priority, and we have a dedicated team and procedures established to make decisions based on the storm's route. We also have designated facilities to provide shelter if the hurricane ultimately impacts the Bradenton area.

We will provide additional updates tomorrow as forecasts continue to evolve.