In less than three years, the University of Houston quickly rebounded from Tropical Storm Allison, completed mitigation efforts and developed an emergency management plan – an effort that has been recognized by federal officials.

Now the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME) Houston/Galveston Post is adding its kudos, selecting UH as its public agency of the month for July.

“SAME has a long, distinguished history of promoting public/private partnerships and increasing emergency preparedness,” said Dave Irvin, associate vice president for plant operations. “To be honored by such an organization for the way we recovered from Tropical Storm Allison, the projects we have completed that mitigate future flooding disasters and the strides we have made in overall emergency readiness is exciting. It’s a real tribute to the hard work of the entire university community.”

From June 5 to June 9, 2001, Tropical Storm Allison dumped 37 inches of rain on the city. The storm caused nearly $5 billion in damages in Harris County. At UH, more than 90 of 105 buildings were damaged, forcing administrators to close the campus on June 8. Working 24/7 for 10 days, nearly 500 staff members came together as a team to get the university back in operation on June 18.

Since then, the university spent more than $100 million on the recovery. UH invested nearly $6 million in mitigation efforts, emphasizing flood prevention, especially for buildings hard-hit by the storm, according to Irvin. The university also developed a permanent emergency management committee and an emergency preparedness plan.

SAME selected UH as an outstanding public agency not just because of its recovery and mitigation effort after Tropical Storm Allison, but also because of the high quality of the staff and strong management in Plant Operations, according to Wendell Barnes, president of SAME’s Houston/Galveston Post. The organization is not alone in its praise.

Over the past few years and especially shortly after the campus opened for classes, Federal Emergency Management Agency representatives noted the speed and efficiency of UH’s recovery, according to Irvin.

Francine Parker
fparker@central.uh.edu