Administration and Finance Focus
 
 

                                                                                                               

Hurricane Ike Build-Back - E. Cullen and Athletics

One year following Hurricane Ike, two UH areas have weathered the storm. For instance, the south side of E. Cullen�s basement sustained water damage due to flooding from a stopped up drain. The impact caused ceiling tiles to fall and litter the floor and also created water puddles on the carpet. In addition, the fifth floor experienced leaking due to roof damage. At the time, Information Technology offices were displaced and temporarily relocated to other areas.

According to Christa Howard, project manager in Facilities Planning and Construction, numerous repairs were made to restore the areas to previous conditions. �We removed all sheetrock up to four feet from the floor, we removed carpet, and in some suites we replaced carpet, but in the larger suites we stained the concrete slab because we were having some flooding issues after the hurricane and we didn�t want to go back in to re-carpet. We also repainted.� Suite 502, E. Cullen is the last office that needs repair and work will begin in that area once roof repairs have ended.

When it comes to the Athletics Department, several locations in the Athletics/Alumni building suffered water damage: the auditorium, where the football team meets to watch videos of previous games, practice turf, outdoor track, baseball and softball fields, press boxes, and some locker rooms.

Additionally, �We used a lot of Plant Operations� in-house shops to help repair and restore and that helped save money.� Several other vendors and UH staff assisted in the repair efforts which helped to make the process run smoother. Howard said working with the Athletics facilities team also proved to be an asset. �Athletics is really good and we worked really closely.� Currently, Athletic repairs are 100% complete.

In looking back on Ike and how the build-back was managed, Howard said, �I think (knock on wood), if we were hit by another hurricane, I�ve seen the new measures the departments put in place, and I think we could respond with more knowledge than we had before, and be able to get in and out and get the projects done faster. And hopefully, now that the roof repairs are done, they will hold up during the next storm and we won�t have as much damage.�



Athletic Football Fence Days After Hurricane Ike



New Fence One Year Later