Palm Beach Atlantic University relocates students after power outage

Arctic cold front causes electrical issues at Florida university dorm

Published on Feb. 2, 2026

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Palm Beach Atlantic University is temporarily relocating students from a residential dorm without power to alternative on-campus housing after an Arctic cold front brought freezing temperatures and winds to West Palm Beach, Florida.

Why it matters

The power outage at Palm Beach Atlantic University's Johnson Hall dorm highlights the impact of extreme weather events like the recent Arctic cold front on university campuses and the importance of having contingency plans to ensure student safety and comfort during such disruptions.

The details

The university confirmed that students living in Johnson Hall, a dorm on campus, were without power after the Arctic cold front arrived in South Florida on Saturday evening and into Sunday. Low temperatures on Sunday reached the 30s, prompting the university to relocate affected students to alternative on-campus housing.

  • The Arctic cold front arrived in West Palm Beach, Florida on Saturday evening and into Sunday.
  • Low temperatures on Sunday were in the 30s.

The players

Palm Beach Atlantic University

A private Christian university located in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Johnson Hall

A residential dorm on the Palm Beach Atlantic University campus that lost power due to the Arctic cold front.

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The takeaway

This incident underscores the importance of universities having robust emergency preparedness plans to ensure student safety and comfort during extreme weather events that can disrupt campus infrastructure and operations.