{
  "id": "2024-07-08-university-of-houston-clear-lake-hurricane-beryl",
  "slug": "university-of-houston-clear-lake-hurricane-beryl-2024-07-08",
  "institution": {
    "name": "University of Houston-Clear Lake",
    "shortName": "UHCL",
    "state": "TX",
    "type": "public-masters",
    "alertSystemName": "UHCL Emergency",
    "enrollment": 9000
  },
  "incident": {
    "date": "2024-07-08",
    "endDate": "2024-07-11",
    "type": "hurricane",
    "cleryCategory": "emergency-notification",
    "headline": "Hurricane, July 8, 2024",
    "summary": "The University of Houston-Clear Lake (the [bay-area campus next to NASA's Johnson Space Center](https://www.uhcl.edu/) in Pasadena, Texas) closed Monday–Tuesday July 8–9, 2024, with Clear Lake reopening Wednesday July 10 as Hurricane Beryl made landfall at Matagorda Bay early July 8. The storm's eye passed just west of the Clear Lake campus, knocking out power across much of the Bay Area for the entire week. The UH system [extended its closure system-wide through July 10](https://communityimpact.com/houston/bay-area/education/2024/07/09/houston-area-schools-colleges-extend-closures-following-hurricane-beryl/) as restoration crews struggled.",
    "outcome": "UHCL Clear Lake and Texas Medical Center reopened Wednesday, July 10 for general operations; Pearland remained closed for power issues. Classes resumed Thursday, July 11. No campus deaths.",
    "resolution": "confirmed-threat"
  },
  "alerts": [
    {
      "sequence": 1,
      "type": "initial",
      "channel": "email",
      "timestamp": "2024-07-05T07:07:53-05:00",
      "verbatimText": "UHCL ALERT: UHCL Office of Emergency Management is actively monitoring Hurricane Beryl, which is expected to enter the Gulf of Mexico this weekend and move northwestward toward the northeast Mexico or South Texas coast. Please keep an eye on local media outlets and weather channels for updates and instructions specific to your area. Any changes to UHCL's operations will be communicated to you via Everbridge. Your safety is our top priority, and we are committed to keeping you informed and safe.",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "sourceUrl": "https://alerts.uh.edu/alert-archive/?id=1728090292095129",
      "sourceDescription": "UHCL Emergency official Notification Archive (alerts.uh.edu API /uhc/all textMessage)",
      "annotations": [
        "UHCL ALERT API textMessage for 2024-07-05 Hurricane Beryl monitoring notice"
      ],
      "characterCount": 499
    },
    {
      "sequence": 2,
      "type": "update",
      "channel": "email",
      "timestamp": "2024-07-06T20:23:00-05:00",
      "verbatimText": "UHCL OEM is closely monitoring the changing conditions of Tropical Storm Beryl. Several watches and warnings have been issued for our coastal area. Please stay vigilant and monitor weather.gov, NOAA Weather Radio, or local news outlets for official storm information. Be prepared to adapt to possible changes in the forecast, and ensure you have multiple ways to receive weather warnings. UHCL ALERTS will be issued as conditions warrant.",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "sourceUrl": "https://alerts.uh.edu/alert-archive/?id=1732213460697945",
      "sourceDescription": "UHCL Emergency official Notification Archive (alerts.uh.edu API /uhc/all textMessage)",
      "annotations": [
        "UHCL ALERT API textMessage for 2024-07-06 Tropical Storm Beryl monitoring update"
      ],
      "characterCount": 438
    },
    {
      "sequence": 3,
      "type": "update",
      "channel": "email",
      "timestamp": "2024-07-07T13:06:19-05:00",
      "verbatimText": "Due to the approaching impact of Tropical Storm Beryl, University of Houston-Clear Lake, including Pearland and the Texas Medical Center locations, will be closing on Monday, July 8. All classes, activities, and business operations scheduled for this date are canceled. This closure encompasses all campus events, meetings, and routine business functions. An update regarding class and operational status for Tuesday, July 9 will be issued tomorrow. \nStudents and employees are encouraged to keep their professors and supervisors informed should weather impact their ability to attend class or work on Tuesday. As weather conditions may change, please monitor the university’s social media, email, and text messages for possible status updates, or visit www.uhcl.edu",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "sourceUrl": "https://alerts.uh.edu/alert-archive/?id=1732213460698405",
      "sourceDescription": "UHCL Alert official archive/API (alerts.uh.edu/api/v2/uhc) textMessage",
      "annotations": [
        "UHCL ALERT API textMessage for 2024-07-07 Monday closure announcement; preserves curly apostrophe in university’s"
      ],
      "characterCount": 768
    },
    {
      "sequence": 4,
      "type": "update",
      "channel": "email",
      "timestamp": "2024-07-08T14:40:32-05:00",
      "verbatimText": "Due to the continued impact of Tropical Storm Beryl, the closure of the University of Houston-Clear Lake, including the Pearland and Texas Medical Center locations, will be extended to Tuesday, July 9. All classes, activities, and business operations scheduled for this date are canceled. This closure encompasses all campus events, meetings, and routine business functions. We ask that only emergency personnel and Hunter Hall residents remain on campus. Your well-being and safety are our primary concerns. We encourage you to use this time to care for yourself, support loved ones who may be in need, and address any property that may have been damaged. We are working diligently to prepare the campus for your safe return, which will only be possible once power has been restored and our spaces and grounds are safe and operational. An update regarding class and operational status for Wednesday July 10 will be issued tomorrow.\n\nAs weather conditions may change, please monitor the university’s social media, email, and text messages for possible status updates, or visit www.uhcl.edu.",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "sourceUrl": "https://alerts.uh.edu/alert-archive/?id=1733553490493717",
      "sourceDescription": "UHCL Alert official archive/API (alerts.uh.edu/api/v2/uhc) rftContent",
      "annotations": [
        "UHCL ALERT API textMessage for 2024-07-08 Tuesday closure extension; Hunter Hall residents allowed to remain"
      ],
      "characterCount": 1092
    },
    {
      "sequence": 5,
      "type": "all-clear",
      "channel": "email",
      "timestamp": "2024-07-09T13:48:28-05:00",
      "verbatimText": "University of Houston-Clear Lake, including the Texas Medical Center location, will open on Wednesday, July 10 for general operations. The Pearland location will remain closed due to ongoing power issues. All classes will resume on Thursday, July 11. Students taking classes online or in-person who are experiencing internet connection difficulties, please contact your professors. \n\nEmployees are encouraged to inform their supervisors if their personal circumstances related to the storm impact their ability to return to work. As conditions may change, please continue to monitor the university’s social media, email, and text messages for possible updates, or visit www.uhcl.edu.",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "sourceUrl": "https://alerts.uh.edu/alert-archive/?id=1733553490494953",
      "sourceDescription": "UHCL Alert official archive/API (alerts.uh.edu/api/v2/uhc) textMessage",
      "annotations": [
        "UHCL ALERT API textMessage for 2024-07-09 reopen notice (Clear Lake + TMC open Wed; Pearland remains closed; classes resume Thu)"
      ],
      "characterCount": 685
    }
  ],
  "context": "Hurricane Beryl made landfall at Matagorda Bay at approximately 4 AM CDT on Monday, July 8, 2024 with sustained winds of 80 mph. The storm's eye passed about 70 miles west of the University of Houston-Clear Lake campus in Pasadena/Houston, but the [extensive wind field](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Beryl) knocked out grid power across much of the Houston-Galveston Bay Area. UHCL (the bay-area UH system campus adjacent to NASA's Johnson Space Center) [closed for three consecutive days (July 8-10)](https://communityimpact.com/houston/bay-area/education/2024/07/09/houston-area-schools-colleges-extend-closures-following-hurricane-beryl/) and joined the rest of the UH System in extending the closure as CenterPoint Energy's restoration timeline lagged badly. The university's [Hurricane Information page](https://www.uhcl.edu/about/administrative-offices/emergency-safety/hurricane-information) was updated multiple times daily during the disruption. Beryl ultimately left over [2.2 million CenterPoint customers without power](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Beryl), with restoration extending into mid-July. The case is notable for the lockstep coordination of all four UH System campuses' closures, even though Clear Lake's actual storm experience was significantly worse than the main UH campus's.",
  "keyFindings": [
    "UHCL closed July 8-10 (three consecutive operational days) for Beryl",
    "Closure was coordinated across all UH System campuses despite varying storm impacts",
    "Online classes were explicitly canceled, preventing penalty for sheltering students",
    "The UHCL campus was about 70 miles east of Beryl's landfall but in the eastern wind field that produced the longest power outages"
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "title": "UHCL Emergency Notification Archive (alerts.uh.edu API /uhc/all)",
      "url": "https://alerts.uh.edu/alert-archive/",
      "type": "official-archive",
      "accessDate": "2026-07-18"
    },
    {
      "title": "Hurricane Information - University of Houston-Clear Lake",
      "url": "https://www.uhcl.edu/about/administrative-offices/emergency-safety/hurricane-information",
      "type": "official-archive",
      "accessDate": "2026-05-14"
    },
    {
      "title": "UHCL Emergency",
      "url": "https://alert.uhcl.edu/",
      "type": "official-archive",
      "accessDate": "2026-05-14"
    },
    {
      "title": "Houston-area schools, colleges extend closures following Hurricane Beryl - Community Impact",
      "url": "https://communityimpact.com/houston/bay-area/education/2024/07/09/houston-area-schools-colleges-extend-closures-following-hurricane-beryl/",
      "type": "local-media",
      "accessDate": "2026-05-14"
    },
    {
      "title": "LIST: Schools, offices across Houston to remain closed Tuesday in aftermath of Hurricane Beryl - Houston Public Media",
      "url": "https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/local/2024/07/08/492917/beryl-closures-houston-whats-closed-schools-offices-tuesday/",
      "type": "local-media",
      "accessDate": "2026-05-14"
    },
    {
      "title": "UH system ALERT API v2",
      "url": "https://alerts.uh.edu/api/v2/uhc/all",
      "type": "official-archive"
    },
    {
      "title": "UH ALERT Notification Archive",
      "url": "https://alerts.uh.edu/alert-archive/?id=1732213460698405",
      "type": "official-archive"
    },
    {
      "title": "UH ALERT Notification Archive",
      "url": "https://alerts.uh.edu/alert-archive/?id=1733553490493717",
      "type": "official-archive"
    },
    {
      "title": "UH ALERT Notification Archive",
      "url": "https://alerts.uh.edu/alert-archive/?id=1733553490494953",
      "type": "official-archive"
    },
    {
      "title": "UHCL Emergency official Notification Archive (alerts.uh.edu API /uhc/all textMessage)",
      "url": "https://alerts.uh.edu/alert-archive/?id=1728090292095129",
      "type": "official-archive"
    },
    {
      "title": "UHCL Emergency official Notification Archive (alerts.uh.edu API /uhc/all textMessage)",
      "url": "https://alerts.uh.edu/alert-archive/?id=1732213460697945",
      "type": "official-archive"
    }
  ],
  "confidence": "high",
  "tags": [
    "hurricane",
    "beryl",
    "texas",
    "houston",
    "bay-area",
    "clear-lake",
    "power-outage",
    "uh-system",
    "three-day-closure"
  ],
  "dateAdded": "2026-05-14",
  "lastUpdated": "2026-07-20",
  "addedBy": "ingestion"
}