After the rain ceased its onslaught, leaving in its wake a swamp of loss and destruction, the community of the University of Houston struggled to the surface and began to assess the damages. The Cougars were still in shock, their hearts still thumping wildly in reaction to the disaster they had just witnessed. Tropical Storm Allison had made its presence known in the short time it took to unleash its wrathful torrents from above. By Friday, June 8, Allison had released over thirty inches of rain.

As others in Houston rushed to salvage the remains of their homes and check up on their loved ones, the University of Houston faced an equally, if not more, daunting task. Though most students left the campus after their spring final exams, there remained others who chose to study during the summer sessions. The University had to scramble to get things flowing smoothly again.

Severe damages to the campus communications systems crippled the large urban university, but with the ingenuity of technicians like Corealia Williams, the University did not remain in the dark. Williams was able to provide students, faculty, and staff with information by means of an old phone server. However, this was the fourth time in history that The Daily Cougar was unable to publish an edition of the student newspaper.

University of Houston President Arthur K. Smith commended those working unceasingly to reopen the campus, which had to close for ten days for repair work. "Our people quickly came forward, rolled up their sleeves, and began the hard work of getting us back in business," he declared before thanking them. The tropical storm destroyed seventeen of twenty high voltage electrical lines, and teams worked for three days to replace over 3,000 "wire pairs" to restore telephone service to the Cougar community.

Repairs were not so quick for other parts of the campus. Ninety of the University's 105 buildings suffered damages. The flooding breached the lower levels of several buildings, including the residence halls. The water rose up to 120 inches in Moody Towers, and students had to be relocated. Some were severely affected, losing most or all of their possessions. In response, the Division of University Advancement created a program called Cougars Helping Cougars to offer immediate aid to faculty, staff, and students who required assistance. The University went as far as turning Hofheinz Pavilion into a makeshift home for displaced students and various campus departments.

However, even as the sunlight began streaming through the dark, stormy sky, the University knew some damages were irreparable. Several thousand books in the Law Library were ruined by the water, and rare volumes were unfortunately affected as well. The University of Houston estimates a restoration that will cost over $260 million--but nevertheless, it was a disaster that brought out the best in the Cougars.