Editor’s note: The Daily Cougar will not publish a print edition today. Regular publication will resume Thursday.
As Tropical Storm Edouard directs its path toward Houston and the Texas Gulf Coast, the UH Emergency Management Team decided to close the campus from 5 p.m. Monday until 5 tonight.
Although major damage is not expected, the possibility of flooding was enough to keep the University from holding classes.
"We’re hoping there’s not going to be any damage to the school, but the one thing that seems increasingly certain is there’s going to be a lot of rain," Director of University Communication Eric Gerber said.
After Tropical Storm Allison ravaged the Houston area in 2001, causing more than $100 million in damages from major flooding to the campus, UH officials decided to take no chances with their community.
"We all know that Houston is so vulnerable to flooding that even if the campus itself is in decent shape and it’s not flooding around here, our students, faculty and staff come from all over the greater Houston area," Gerber said.
The campus is scheduled to reopen at 5 p.m. today in an attempt to keep evening classes in session. Should the storm damages become greater than projected, the school will reconsider its opening this afternoon.
"If the city is pretty manageable (by 5 p.m.), we do want to try to offer classes," Gerber said. "However, if it becomes apparent tomorrow afternoon that the system has stayed and continued to rain on Houston and there’s a great deal of flooding, we always have the option at that point of canceling the evening classes."
Gerber was unsure if the canceled classes would be rescheduled.
Edouard had 45 mph sustained winds as of 6 p.m. Monday and is expected to gain strength before hitting the coast early today. Tropical storm warnings are in effect from Port O’Conner to the Mississippi River and a hurricane watch is posted from Intracoastal City, La. to Port O’Conner.
The storm is expected to cause gusty winds and heavy rain, which will likely cause flash flooding.
