Key Takeaways:
- Climate change has made natural disasters inevitable all over the US
- Colleges are often unprepared to deal with disasters, or with their aftermath
- Natural disasters show that colleges are not just a workplace – they are a community
After the devastation in Western North Carolina, please give to legitimate organizations:
- North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund – Helene
- American Red Cross: 1-800-RED CROSS or text the word “HELENE” to 90999 to make a $10 donation; DONATE HERE
- Emergency Disaster Services of The Salvation Army
- Feeding the Carolinas
No college is safe from a natural disaster.
Schools like the University of North Carolina at Asheville, Appalachian State University, and Western Carolina University never expected a hurricane, but Hurricane Helene didn’t care. The unprecedented flooding in the North Carolina mountains caused widespread destruction and damage
With global climate change, natural disasters are becoming an unavoidable reality for colleges and universities in the US and around the world. Whether it’s hurricanes, wildfires, floods, or earthquakes, these events don’t just disrupt day-to-day campus life—they can also threaten the academic and financial stability of institutions for years to come.
The Worst College Natural Disasters
With natural disasters on everyone’s mind, College Consensus has researched specific natural disasters that impacted colleges and universities over the years. This is not a ranking – we’re not comparing destruction. We’re interested in the lessons learned. We’re interested in resiliency. And we want to call attention to students, families, faculty, and staff about being prepared for the next disaster – wherever it strikes.
The following are presented in chronological order.
1. Stanford University – Great Earthquake (1906)
In 1906, Stanford University was a small, regional school that had already survived financial and political crises. But the Great Earthquake that hit at 5 am on April 18 could have been the last. Much of Stanford’s original campus was destroyed, including a newly-built library. One student and one staff member were killed by collapsing buildings. Classes were canceled and students sent home.
Except many students did not go home. They stayed and established Camp Stanford in the City, volunteering for relief efforts. Despite damages adding up to nearly $50 million (in today’s money), Stanford reopened for the fall semester. The “Calamity Class” was able to graduate – and Stanford kept its commitment to tuition-free education for decades.
2. University of Louisville – Ohio River Flood (1937)
Heavy rains throughout the month of January flooded the Ohio River in 1937. In the city of Louisville, KY, water crested 37 feet above flood level – 10 feet higher than ever recorded before or since. More than 175,000 people were displaced, with nearly 70% of the city underwater.
The University of Louisville was a mainstay of the city, already well over 100 years old. Life at the university was disrupted for months. But UofL also become the repository of history from the flood. Their archives have collected oral histories, diaries, photographs, and other historical memorabilia that remind the people of Kentucky of the devastation and reconstruction of 1937.
3. Portland State University – Vanport Flood (1948)
Portland State University started as an extension campus, educating the WWII veterans (a third of them African-American) who had moved into the town Vanport to work in the shipyards. Unfortunately, Vanport was also 15 feet below the Columbia River. A heavy snowpack in the mountains, plus torrential rains, caused a devastating flood that killed 15 people in 1948.
The Vanport Extention Center (as it was then called) refused to close. Though students nicknamed it “The College Without a Future,” classes moved into a local high school, then to a makeshift campus in the Oregon Shipyard.
Portland State proudly became known as “The College That Wouldn’t Die.” Vanport, however, was never rebuilt. While the college endured, the area was folded into the city of Portland, leading to the racial integration of the city.
4. Washington State University – Mount St Helens Eruption (1980)
On May 18, 1980, the most deadly and destructive volcanic blast in US history blew the top of Mount St. Helens in Washington State. The eruption had a significant impact on local colleges in the Pacific Northwest. The eruption caused widespread damage to infrastructure (including highways and railroads), disrupted academic schedules, and forced many students and faculty to evacuate. Several colleges, including Washington State University and Eastern Washington University, were forced to close temporarily due to tons of ashfall.
There was an upside, though – the eruption gave scientists and researchers a unique opportunity to study the effects of volcanic eruptions on ecosystems and human communities. The University of Washington led the way, bringing the first research crew into the area. The eruption also increased public awareness of volcanic hazards and the importance of disaster preparedness. Colleges played a key role in educating the public about volcanic risk and promoting safety measures.
5. University of Iowa – Iowa River Flood (2008)
In 2008, heavy rains brought a 500 year flood to the Iowa River, and the University of Iowa was situated right on the banks. After a week of building barriers to hold back the waters, the river won. Floodwaters covered the main stage of the auditorium, filled the campus bookstore, and ruined the art museum – though volunteers removed the most important pieces of the collection to safety in time.
UI suffered more than $750 million in damages, with a quarter of its classroom space lost. Recovery took many years. But the University of Iowa turned its disaster into a valuable learning experience, sending their facilities manager to speak at schools across the US over the following years. “Plan for your next disaster,” they advise, “not your last one.”
6. Tulane University – Hurrican Katrina (2005)
Hurricane Katrina was one of the most destructive hurricanes in American history. During its landfall in August 2005, and its aftermath, Katrina killed nearly 1,400 people and caused $125 billion in damage. Tulane University, a cultural center for the city of New Orleans, had to evacuated hundreds of students, and suffered more than $650 million in damages, especially to its library, which housed priceless rare books, recordings, and government documents.
But Tulane persevered. Nearly 500 colleges across the US offered Tulane students status as provisional students, allowing them to keep taking courses and stay on track to graduate. The university stayed closed for four months. After the hurricane, Tulane emerged as the largest employer in the region, and was instrumental in the rebuilding of New Orleans.
7. University of North Carolina at Wilmington – Hurricane Florence (2018)
When Hurricane Florence made landfall in Wrightsville Beach, NC – a suburb of Wilmington – it was a relatively weak Category 1 storm. While its winds were not unusually strong, Florence was unfortunately huge and long-lived. The storm dropped torrential rain on the area as it crept through over several days, causing flooding as far west as the Research Triangle.
But Wilmington, and the Cape Fear in general, got the worst of it. The city of Wilmington was completely cut off from the mainland. The University of North Carolina at Wilmington suffered over $120 million in losses, including the destruction of 13 student housing buildings. In the years afterward, UNCW stepped forward as a community leader, establishing a yearly day of service, “Wings Up for Wilmington.”
8. CSU Chico, Butte College – Camp Fire (2018)
The deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California history started in Butte County in November 2018. High winds spread an accidental fire across 153,336 acres, destroying more than 18,000 buildings and costing more than $16.5 billion in damages. 85 people died and tens of thousands lost their homes.
California State University, Chico, and Butte College (a small community college) both reside in Butte County. While their campuses were spared, their students were not – hundreds of students, staff, and faculty lost their homes, and campus was closed for nearly three weeks.
But CSU Chico and Butte College were not dismayed. They turned the Camp Fire into an opportunity to build community, learn, and teach. CSU Chico has been actively researching the aftermath of the fires, learning immensely more about how wildfires affect issues like water quality and population. Their Teaching the Camp Fire offers resources for community education.
How Do Natural Disasters Affect Colleges?
After the camera crews leave and the news cycle moves on, colleges – their staff, faculty, and students – still have to deal with the aftermath of natural disasters.
Property damage is the most obvious. Disasters have caused billions of dollars in damage to college campuses. Those damages reverberate – schools must raise money to repair, and critical facilities may be closed for months or years while they rebuild.
For instance, Tulane University’s library was flooded by Hurricane Katrina. Thousands of books, recordings, and government records were damaged or destroyed. Restoration cost the university millions of dollars, plus the cost of rebuilding and installing new climate-control equipment to protect the salvaged treasures.
Most Expensive College Natural Disasters
Campus | Event | Cost |
---|---|---|
University of Iowa | Iowa River Flood, 2008 | $750m |
Tulane University | Hurricane Katrina, 2005 | $650m |
University of Puerto Rico (multiple campuses) | Hurricane Maria, 2017 | $130m |
University of North Carolina at Wilmington | Hurricane Florence, 2018 | $120m |
Stanford University | Great Earthquake (1906) | $50m (adjusted for inflation) |
The impact on students can be enormous. As U.S. News & World Report notes, college students who live on campus rarely have insurance – if they lose their belongings, they’re lost for good. When universities have to close, students also lose valuable instruction time.
Colleges also face challenges in keeping displaced faculty and students engaged, especially when online infrastructure is damaged or when digital equity issues prevent some from accessing remote learning.
Then there’s the issue of displacement. If a college has to evacuate, students often have nowhere to go. That’s especially true of international students, who may not be able to return home because of money or immigration laws.
Universities that rely heavily on international students, like the University of Miami, face disruptions to enrollment and revenue, as global crises and disasters in home countries can make it impossible for students to return.
Even local or regional students may not have a home to go back to. After the Camp Fire of 2018, many students in Northern California found their campuses closed, and their homes destroyed by the fires.
After the Louisiana Floods of 2016, Southern University in Baton Rouge lost 400 enrolled students. These students had lost homes and loved ones, and could not return to school due to financial and psychological burdens.
The administrative challenges are also substantial—balancing the immediate need for temporary facilities with long-term rebuilding, while still maintaining academic continuity, can overwhelm resources.
How are Colleges Preparing for Natural Disasters?
Sadly, many colleges do not recognize the need for disaster preparation. But no area of the US is immune from natural disasters, especially as climate change drives more extreme weather.
Beyond the immediate damage, natural disasters force colleges to rethink everything from safety protocols to long-term infrastructure planning. But how exactly do these disasters impact higher education, and what steps are colleges taking to adapt?
In response to the growing threat of natural disasters, many colleges are now taking innovative steps to enhance their resilience. For instance, the University of California, Berkeley has invested in seismic retrofitting, transforming older campus buildings to withstand earthquakes. Their approach includes not only physical upgrades but also creating detailed emergency preparedness plans for students and staff.
Another example comes from Florida International University (FIU), which created the Academy for International Disaster Preparedness to improve disaster and emergency preparedness education. FIU further integrates disaster planning into campus culture. They’ve established hurricane-resistant architecture for future buildings and developed partnerships with local agencies to create a coordinated disaster response system. Additionally, FIU launched a cloud-based platform that allows students and faculty to access critical academic resources remotely, ensuring continuity in the face of hurricanes.
Some schools, like the University of Houston, are now embedding disaster resilience into the curriculum, teaching students how to design and build structures capable of withstanding natural disasters, providing a real-world learning experience while addressing long-term infrastructural needs.
The biggest lesson of natural disasters is that colleges have to place students first. Butte College’s closure revealed a critical need for students beyond academics, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education. “For many, school was more than just education,” she explains. “It was a safe haven and a source of food.” Butte emphasized the importance of maintaining essential services like food pantries, even during campus closures, to support students in times of crisis.