Flood updates (Aug. 12)

ISU will reopen Friday; water conservation encouraged

Iowa State University will reopen Friday, Aug. 13, with several truckloads of bottled water and continued reminders to campus residents and visitors not to drink city or campus water. University officials also stressing the need for continued water conservation.

News release.

ISU flood relief; how you can help

A 2010 Flood Relief Fund has been established. Gifts will support flood clean-up efforts.

News release.

Bottled water for employees working on campus Aug. 12

Free bottles of water will be distributed to ISU employees and graduate students who are working on campus today (Aug. 12). Up to two water bottles per individual will be provided between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. on the west side of the Memorial Union. To speed distribution of the water, units are urged to send representatives to pick up water for all of those in the office. The city of Ames also has established several water distribution locations; watch the Ames site for details.


Officials have warned the campus-Ames community not to drink any city water unless it has been brought to a full rolling boil for three to five minutes. The water may have been contaminated after a water main break Aug. 11 under Squaw Creek.

ISU will be closed Thursday, Aug. 12

Iowa State University will be closed Thursday, Aug. 12, due to limited Ames city water service and the boil water order on campus and in Ames. Employees whose functions are considered essential to campus operations should report to work. Supervisors determine whose functions are essential and should contact essential personnel as soon as possible. All other employees are encouraged NOT to report for work Thursday. The U.S. Department of Energy's Ames Laboratory will follow ISU policies on closing, and the ISU Foundation also will be closed.

Employee info on the closing

Human Resource Services officials have prepared this FAQ (PDF) on emergency closings and personnel policies. Employees who have additional questions should contact their supervisors or HRS at hrshelp@iastate.edu.

Events

Reiman Gardens Quilt Show will continue Aug. 13-15.

Roads

All university roadways are open.

Dining on campus

ISU Dining will resume service on Friday, Aug. 13. Beverages will be limited to bottled items, no fountain soda, coffee or juice machines will be operating. Retail locations that will be open include:
  • HUB (not Caribou Coffee), 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
  • MU Market and Cafe, 7 a.m.-7 p.m.
  • MU Food Court, 7 a.m.-2 p.m.; Subway, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.; Panda Express, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
  • Hawthorn Market and Cafe, 7 a.m.-2 p.m.
  • Bookends, 7:30 a.m.-3 p.m.
  • Clyde's, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
  • Wallace Wilson C-Store, 5-11 p.m.
  • West Side Market, 7:30 a.m.-2 p.m.

Students can move in as scheduled

Students moving into campus housing can move in as scheduled.

With the current forecast and information available, there will be no changes to the already established move-in schedule. Official opening of Frederiksen Court and Schilletter and University Village Apartments begins at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 14. Pre-approved early move-in for residence halls also begins at 9 a.m. on Aug. 14. Official opening for the residence halls starts at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 17.

See news release.

Ames water shutdown affects campus; boil water before drinking

A large water main break Wednesday morning under Squaw Creek dropped water pressure in Ames to a dangerous level. Due to the possibility of contamination, the Ames water plant shut down water supply to its distribution community, including Iowa State University at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Water on campus should be considered potentially contaminated. Any water used for consumption must be brought to a full rolling boil for at least two minutes. Members of the university community are reminded to not use drinking fountains in all campus buildings.

Water pressure in faucets and toilets will remain low, particularly on higher elevations or on upper floors in multi-floor buildings.

Watch the city of Ames website for updates on repairs to its water system and a timeline for restoring drinkable water to the system.


Watch the university website for changes in operations on campus.

Video, photos

  • Floodwaters inside and outside Hilton Coliseum, video from athletics departmet
  • Flooding on campus and in Ames, video from the College of Engineering
  • Flood images, university photographer Bob Elbert

City of Ames updates; updated street map

See city of Ames information on street closings, sandbagging, river crest levels and where to report electrical outages.

Safety

For safety reasons, people are urged not to drive or walk through standing or running water or drive around barricades.

Closings on campus

High water and flooding has caused some university buildings to close, including:

  • University Community Child Care at University Village (for the next few days)
  • Lied Center
  • Hilton Coliseum
  • Iowa State Center (Scheman Building, Stephens Auditorium and Fisher Theater), website also is down due to server damage
  • Jack Trice Stadium
  • Veenker Memorial Golf Course
  • Jacobson Athletics Building

Cleanup and recovery

ISU Exension's Flood Cleanup site provides information on household repairs, mold, food safety, hazardous materials and public health.