It took a bad encounter with a tropical storm named Allison in 2001 to help prepare the University of Houston campus for a hurricane like Rita.

Many Houstonians are breathing a sigh of relief that Hurricane Rita dwindled in size and drifted north, but there are still nearly two months of hurricane season left. With that, UH is vigilant in its efforts to remain prepared in the event of another weather crisis.

“We wouldn’t be doing our job if we didn’t assess our facilities and our emergency procedures following Rita and Allison,” said Dave Irvin, associate vice president of plant operations.

Before Houston and the Gulf Coast region were even aware of Hurricane Rita’s existence, UH had already begun readying itself for a potential severe weather emergency.

UH’s Emergency Management Committee, which consists of several members of the university’s administration, divisions and faculty, met soon after Hurricane Katrina devastated areas of Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi in August.

Once Rita appeared to be an imminent threat to Texas’ Gulf Coast region, the committee began assessing procedures for evacuating students residing on campus, securing laboratories, protecting electronic data and enhancing communications.

“The coordination among the committee members was very organized,” Irvin said. “Our emergency preparedness plans and procedures worked well during the hurricane. Many of these had been developed or augmented following Tropical Storm Allison in 2001. We had also reviewed the emergency procedures from universities that were affected by Hurricane Katrina such as Tulane University.”

Soon, the committee will meet to discuss the effectiveness of its pre-Rita preparations.

The campus itself suffered only minor damage during the hurricane, including the loss of 15 medium to large trees around campus and 25 smaller trees located near Lot 20 on Calhoun Road.

Rita also caused power outages in the UH Department of Public Safety (UHDPS) station and the trailers near the UH Law Center, as well as minor wind damage to the university’s power plant and the parking garage construction site.

Although he could not estimate the cost of post-Rita repairs, Irvin said that the campus damages didn’t even come close to those sustained following Tropical Storm Allison in 2001.

Allison poured 37 inches of rain on Houston and caused $100 million of damage to more than 90 percent of UH’s buildings. Since then, the university made numerous enhancements to its facilities such as adding protective barriers, submarine doors at tunnel entrances and submersible pumps. Based on these upgrades, insurance experts have estimated future damages resulting from a storm the size of Allison would be reduced from $100 million to $5 million.

Allison’s impact motivated UH to prepare its facilities for future weather emergencies. It also inspired the university’s proactive stance on emergency preparedness.

Following that tropical storm, Elwyn Lee, vice president of student affairs, developed a collection of extensive crisis preparedness materials. It includes procedures and recommendations to cope with such emergencies as toxic spills, natural disasters and acts of terrorism.

Andy Blank, executive director of Residential Life and Housing (RLH), and Rebecca Szwarc, RLH administrative assistant, compiled the information, which includes planning tips from the American Red Cross, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Peace Corps. It also includes copies of emergency management plans from Texas A&M University and other higher education institutions.

Blank and Szwarc are working to place the essential elements of crisis preparedness for the UH community on the university’s Web site in the future.

Hurricanes Rita and Katrina will no doubt factor into this plan’s continuing evolution, and the expansion of UH’s official Emergency Management Plan (EMP).

The EMP can be reviewed online at http://www.uh.edu/emergency/. It outlines the responsibilities of those with critical roles during emergencies and sets emergency protocols and includes procedures relating to various crises, including severe weather, violence, terrorism and bomb threats.

Robert Schneller, director of environmental health and risk management, said that the plan is always being updated.

“Preparation is key before any emergency,” Schneller said. “Whether it’s knowing how to get people away from campus or how to communicate with people, proper planning can mean the difference between disaster and survival.”

Just as important as updating UH’s plans and procedures is acquiring appropriate emergency resources.

Last year, for example, UHDPS bolstered its emergency response equipment by adding automated external defibrillators to four of its vehicles and obtaining a specialized trailer that’s capable of handling hazardous materials.

“This university has come to expect the unexpected,” said Malcolm Davis, UH police chief and executive director of public safety. “If UHDPS officers and other emergency staff members have the proper gear and follow the necessary procedures, we stand a very good chance of protecting this campus and its constituents.”

Mike Emery
Memery@central.uh.edu