Flooding from Hurricane Harvey has affected a number of campus buildings and structures. | Thomas Dwyer/The Cougar
The city of Houston is experiencing record-breaking flooding, and there are reports of high water in multiple areas on campus.
Affected areas include Bayou Oaks residence hall, M.D. Anderson Library, the Athletics and Alumni Center, the John M. O’Quinn Law Library, and the Student Center Satellite.
Bayou Oaks residents were given the option to evacuate to Bates Hall at the Quadrangle Saturday evening, amid mounting fears of Brays Bayou overflowing. Mandatory evacuations were announced Sunday morning after the parking lot flooded, and the complex began taking on water within hours.
No one is permitted at Bayou Oaks until further notice is given by the University, according to an email sent to residents. According to a tweet from President Renu Khator, relocated residents are able to eat at Cougar Woods dining hall for free. The dining halls are also free for University Lofts residents, according to a Facebook post by Student Government Association President Winni Zhang.
UH confirmed in a tweet Sunday morning that the Student Center Satellite had taken on a few inches of water. Retail locations in the Satellite and Student Center South remain closed until further notice.
A video submitted to The Cougar Sunday afternoon taken by marketing sophomore Uyiosa Elegon shows flooding in the basement level of M.D. Anderson Library.
“That basement is not in good shape whatsoever,” Elegon said in the Facebook live video. “It looks like literally a swimming pool.”
UH Media Relations has not yet confirmed any flooding in the M.D. Anderson Library.
All student residents are safe. SC Satellite has a few inches of water. We continue assessing facilities. Our thoughts are with Houston.
— UniversityofHouston (@UHouston) August 27, 2017
Flooding was confirmed in the Athletics and Alumni Center’s Carl Lewis Auditorium at 2:33 p.m. by Houston Chronicle reporter Joseph Duarte via Twitter. In a later tweet, Duarte reported this is the only known flooding at UH Athletics.
Houston spokesman says Carl Lewis Auditorium in Athletic/Alumni Center used for team meetings has flooded
— Joseph Duarte (@Joseph_Duarte) August 28, 2017
UH spokesperson Mike Rosen confirmed there was around an inch of water in the John M. O’Quinn Law Library at the time of the last assessment. A complete assessment is to come, Rosen said, but there could be additional flooding elsewhere on campus.
UH Parking tweeted Sunday afternoon that no campus garages, where many residential students had parked their cars in preparation for the storm, had taken on water.
Parking garages are doing okay, no standing water- even on the first floor. Only the Bayou Oaks surface lot is flooded at this time.
— UH Parking (@uhparking) August 27, 2017
Students are encouraged to call UHPD at 713-743-3333 with life-threatening safety concerns.
