Confirmed wording is transcribed character-for-character from a primary source. Use Verify this quote under each message to open that source in a new tab and compare the text yourself.
Exact SMS textMessage from UH ALERT official API (startDate 2017-08-23 12:22:09)
UPDATEEmail
Verified verbatim·385 chars
Tropical Weather Update
The National Weather
Service has issued a Tropical Storm Watch for Southeast Texas including Harris
County in advance of Harvey, which is expected to become a Tropical Storm later
today. The University of Houston will continue monitoring conditions and will
modify class schedules and other operations if necessary. This page will update as conditions warrant.
Verbatim SMS textMessage from UH ALERT official API (alerts.uh.edu/api/v2/uh/all)
API startDate 2017-08-24 09:38:20
UPDATEEmail+21h 16m
Verified verbatim·422 chars
UH Monitoring Weather
The National Weather Service has issued a Tropical Storm Warning for Southeast Texas including Harris County in advance of TS Harvey. The University of Houston will continue monitoring conditions and will modify class schedules and other operations if necessary. Information regarding major changes to campus
status will be emailed directly to the campus community and posted at www.uh.edu/emergency
Verbatim SMS textMessage from UH ALERT official API (alerts.uh.edu/api/v2/uh/all)
API startDate 2017-08-24 12:49:38
UPDATEEmail+1d
Verified verbatim·577 chars
UH to Close Friday 1:00PM
The University of Houston, UH Katy and UH Sugar Land, will close at 1:00pm, Friday, Aug. 25, to allow students, faculty and staff to prepare for forecasted inclement weather. The university will remain closed through Sunday, Aug. 27. As such, all academic and administrative functions are canceled during that time. The university will continue to monitor the storm and make a decision about campus operations for Monday, Aug. 28, over the weekend.
The last day to add classes, originally Monday, Aug. 28, has been extended through Tuesday, Aug. 29.
Verbatim SMS textMessage from UH ALERT official API (alerts.uh.edu/api/v2/uh/all)
API startDate 2017-08-25 13:01:36
UPDATEEmail+2d
Verified verbatim·573 chars
UH Closed
The University of Houston, including UH Katy and UH Sugar Land, is closed as of 1:00pm, Friday, Aug. 25, to allow students, faculty and staff to prepare for forecasted inclement weather. The university will remain closed through Sunday, Aug. 27. As such, all academic and administrative functions are canceled during this time. The university will continue to monitor the storm and make a decision about campus operations for Monday, Aug. 28, over the weekend.
The last day to add classes, originally Monday, Aug. 28, has been extended through Tuesday, Aug. 29.
Verbatim SMS textMessage from UH ALERT official API (alerts.uh.edu/api/v2/uh/all)
API startDate 2017-08-26 11:38:27
UPDATEEmail+2d
Verified verbatim·485 chars
UH Closed Through Monday, Aug. 28, 2017
The University of Houston, including UH Katy and UH Sugar Land, will remain closed through Monday, Aug. 28. All academic and administrative functions are canceled during this time. The university will continue to monitor the storm and make further adjustments to operations as conditions warrant.
The last day to add classes, originally Monday, Aug. 28, has been extended through Tuesday, Aug. 29.
Updates are posted at: www.uh.edu/emergency.
Verbatim SMS textMessage from UH ALERT official API (alerts.uh.edu/api/v2/uh/all)
API startDate 2017-08-27 10:17:20
UPDATEEmail+3d
Verified verbatim·311 chars
Tornado Warning for UH until 10:30am, Sunday
The National Weather Service has issued a Tornado Warning that includes UH until 10:30am. Seek shelter indoors immediately in an interior room on the lowest level and away from windows. Remain indoors until the warning has expired.
Updates at www.uh.edu/emergency
Verbatim SMS textMessage from UH ALERT official API (alerts.uh.edu/api/v2/uh/all)
API startDate 2017-08-27 11:22:16
UPDATEEmail+3d
Verified verbatim·303 chars
Tornado Warning for UH until 11:45am
The National Weather Service has issued a Tornado Warning that includes UH until 11:45am. Seek shelter indoors immediately in an interior room on the lowest level and away from windows. Remain indoors until the warning has expired.
Updates at www.uh.edu/emergency
Verbatim SMS textMessage from UH ALERT official API (alerts.uh.edu/api/v2/uh/all)
API startDate 2017-08-27 12:10:52
UPDATEEmail+3d
Verified verbatim·450 chars
UH Closed Through Wednesday, August 30, 2017
The University of Houston, including UH Katy and UH Sugar Land, will remain closed through Wednesday, Aug. 30, to accommodate our community as we recover from this catastrophic storm. During this time, the only personnel permitted on campus are those on the UH Rideout Team. The university will make further adjustments to operations as conditions warrant. Updates will be posted at: www.uh.edu/emergency
Verbatim SMS textMessage from UH ALERT official API (alerts.uh.edu/api/v2/uh/all)
API startDate 2017-08-28 16:03:24
UPDATEEmail+5d
Verified verbatim·525 chars
UH Closed Through Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 4
The University of Houston, including UH Katy and UH Sugar Land,
will remain closed through Labor Day, Monday, Sept 4, to accommodate our
community as we recover from this catastrophic storm. During this time, only UH
Rideout Team personnel will be permitted on campus. We are continuously
assessing facilities and our ability to resume operations. The university
will make further adjustments to the schedule as conditions warrant. Updates will be posted at www.uh.edu/emergency.
Exact SMS textMessage from UH ALERT official API (startDate 2017-08-29 20:42:52)
UPDATEEmail+6d
Verified verbatim·526 chars
On August 29, 2017, City of Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner approved a curfew from midnight until 5am August 30, 2017. This security alert is to remind the UH Community of the need to be safe in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.
If you have any questions or general concerns, please direct them to harvey2017@uh.edu or police@uh.edu.
If you are in need of immediate police assistance, contact UHPD at 713-743-3333 or dial 911.
Be safe.
University
of Houston Security Alerts are archived at www.uh.edu/police/securityalerts
Verbatim SMS textMessage from UH ALERT official API (alerts.uh.edu/api/v2/uh/all)
API startDate 2017-09-01 17:25:43
Alert-ness audit 2026-07-20: transmission via UH ALERT ENS confirmed; alert type corrected from all-clear to update because the verbatim text is a campus-closure notice, not a lifting of restrictions.
UPDATEEmail+9d
Verified verbatim·373 chars
UH to Reopen Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2017
The University of Houston, including UH Katy and UH Sugar Land, will remain closed through Labor Day, Monday, Sept 4, to accommodate our community as we recover from this catastrophic storm. For information about when students, faculty and staff may return to campus, please visit our Hurricane Harvey FAQ page at www.uh.edu/2017-harvey
Exact rftContent from UH ALERT API (2017-09-01 17:25:43)
Message elements
How the first alert is built
To check this alert, Claude (an AI) read it in full 25 separate times, independently. Each read decided whether the message answers each of the six questions and gave a short reason. A final reviewer then weighed all 25 and wrote the plain-English verdict you see when you open a row. The score (for example 22/25) is how many reads agreed; the 25 individual reads are tucked underneath if you want to check them.
Tropical Weather Update. See www.uh.edu/emergency
Sourceabsent2/25
Final assessment
Nearly all reads found no named sender or authority, just a bare 'www.uh.edu/emergency' link; a small minority read the domain itself as identifying University of Houston, but the majority view that a URL alone is not an explicit named source prevails.
Who is sending the alert and who is responding. People act faster on a message from a clearly identifiable, credible sender, such as a named department, the police, or a branded alert system, than on an anonymous notice. A branded signature counts.
See all 25 individual reads
absent: No sender or authority named, just a generic weather update label.
present: 'uh.edu/emergency' domain identifies the University of Houston as sender.
absent: No sender or authority named in this short update.
absent: No sender named in this short fragment.
absent: No sender or authority named, just a URL.
present: 'www.uh.edu' identifies the University of Houston as sender.
absent: No sender identified in this short fragment beyond a generic URL.
absent: No sender or authority named.
absent: No sender or authority named in this short fragment.
absent: No sender or authority named, only a URL.
absent: No sender/authority identified, just a generic notice.
absent: No sender identified beyond a URL.
absent: No sender or authority named in this short message.
absent: No sender or authority named in the text itself.
absent: No sender or agency named in this fragment.
absent: No sender or authority named.
absent: No sender identified beyond a URL, no authority named.
absent: No sender/authority named beyond the URL.
absent: No sender or authority identified, just a URL reference.
absent: No sender identified, only a link.
absent: No sender identified in this brief fragment.
absent: No sender or authority identified, just a link.
absent: No sender or agency named, just a link.
absent: No sender or authority named.
absent: No sender or authority identified in the text itself.
Hazardabsent5/25
Final assessment
Almost every read called 'Tropical Weather' too vague to count as a specific hazard, with only a handful treating the generic phrase as sufficient; the strong majority verdict is that no specific threat is named.
What the threat actually is. A complete warning names the specific danger, such as a shooter, a fire, a tornado, or a gas leak, rather than a vague emergency, because people decide what to do based on what they are facing.
See all 25 individual reads
absent: 'Tropical Weather' is vague and not a specific named threat.
present: 'Tropical Weather' names a general storm-type hazard.
absent: 'Tropical Weather' is generic, no specific hazard like hurricane named.
absent: 'Tropical Weather' is vague, no specific storm/threat named.
absent: 'Tropical Weather' is vague, not a specific hazard like a storm name.
absent: 'Tropical Weather' is a vague, generic description of a threat.
absent: Only 'Tropical Weather' mentioned, not a specific threat like a hurricane or storm.
absent: 'Tropical Weather' too vague, no specific hazard type.
absent: 'Tropical Weather' is generic, no specific hazard type stated.
absent: Only 'Tropical Weather Update', no specific hazard named.
absent: Only says 'Tropical Weather', no specific storm named or described.
absent: Only generic 'Tropical Weather Update', no specific hazard named.
absent: Only 'Tropical Weather' mentioned, no specific hazard like storm/hurricane named.
absent: 'Tropical Weather' is vague, not a specific named hazard.
absent: 'Tropical Weather' is vague, no specific hazard stated.
absent: 'Tropical Weather' is generic, not a specific hazard.
absent: 'Tropical Weather Update' does not name a specific hazard like storm or hurricane.
absent: 'Tropical Weather' is vague, not a specific named threat with details.
present: 'Tropical Weather' names a general hazard type.
present: 'Tropical Weather' names the hazard type.
absent: Only generic 'Tropical Weather' mentioned, not a specific hazard.
absent: Says 'Tropical Weather' generically without naming a specific storm or threat.
present: 'Tropical Weather' names the hazard type.
present: 'Tropical Weather' names a general but specific weather hazard.
absent: 'Tropical Weather' is generic, not a specific named threat like a storm name.
Locationabsent0/25
Final assessment
Unanimous agreement: the message gives no place name at all.
Where the threat is. Saying whether danger is in a specific building, a part of campus, or area-wide lets people judge their own proximity and choose a safe direction. Without a where, a warning is hard to act on precisely.
See all 25 individual reads
absent: No specific place named.
absent: No specific place is named.
absent: No location specified.
absent: No location given.
absent: No location given.
absent: No place named.
absent: No location given.
absent: No location specified.
absent: No location given.
absent: No location given.
absent: No location given.
absent: No location given.
absent: No location given.
absent: No location specified.
absent: No location given.
absent: No location specified.
absent: No location given.
absent: No location given.
absent: No specific location given beyond implied campus via URL.
absent: No location specified.
absent: No location given.
absent: No location given.
absent: No specific location given.
absent: No place mentioned.
absent: No specific location named.
Guidanceabsent0/25
Final assessment
Unanimous agreement: the alert offers only a link to check for more information, with no protective action instructed.
The protective action to take. A clear, specific instruction, such as shelter in place, evacuate, avoid the area, or run-hide-fight, drives faster and more correct protective behavior than describing the threat alone.
See all 25 individual reads
absent: No protective action instructed, only a link to more info.
absent: No protective action is instructed, just a link to check.
absent: No protective action instructed, only a link.
absent: No protective action instructed, only a link to check.
absent: No protective action instructed.
absent: No protective action instructed, just a link.
absent: No protective action instructed.
absent: No instruction beyond visiting website.
absent: No protective action instructed, just a link.
absent: No instruction beyond visiting a website.
absent: No protective action instructed, only a link to more info.
absent: No protective action instructed, just directs to a webpage.
absent: No protective action instructed, only a link to more info.
absent: No protective action instructed, only a link.
absent: No instruction, just a link reference.
absent: No protective action instructed, just a link.
absent: No protective action instructed.
absent: No protective action instructed.
absent: No protective action instructed.
absent: No protective action instructed.
absent: No protective action instructed, just points to a website.
absent: No protective action instructed.
absent: No protective action instructed, only a link to check.
absent: No protective action instructed, only a link to check.
absent: No protective action instructed, only a link.
Timeabsent0/25
Final assessment
Unanimous agreement: no time or date reference of any kind appears in the text.
When the message applies. A timestamp, the word now or immediately, or a phrase like until further notice tells the reader whether the danger is current and how quickly to act.
See all 25 individual reads
absent: No time or date given.
absent: No time or date given.
absent: No time reference given.
absent: No time or recency given.
absent: No time given.
absent: No time reference given.
absent: No time or date given.
absent: No time reference.
absent: No time or date given.
absent: No time or date given.
absent: No time given.
absent: No time reference given.
absent: No time given.
absent: No time reference.
absent: No time or date given.
absent: No time reference.
absent: No time or date given.
absent: No time reference given.
absent: No time/date given.
absent: No time reference given.
absent: No time reference given.
absent: No time or recency term given.
absent: No time or date given.
absent: No time given.
absent: No time or date given.
Impactabsent0/25
Final assessment
Unanimous agreement: no consequence or severity is stated anywhere in the message.
What the hazard could do to the people in its path. Beyond naming the threat, a complete warning conveys its potential consequences or severity, such as that a tornado can level buildings or that a leak could be explosive, so recipients grasp how much danger they are in. Research on warning message content finds that a concrete impact statement helps people personalize their risk and act sooner.
See all 25 individual reads
absent: No consequence or severity stated.
absent: No consequence or severity is stated.
absent: No stated consequence or severity.
absent: No stated consequence.
absent: No consequence stated.
absent: No stated consequence.
absent: No consequence described.
absent: No consequence stated.
absent: No consequence stated.
absent: No consequence stated.
absent: No consequence stated.
absent: No stated consequence.
absent: No consequence stated.
absent: No stated consequence or severity.
absent: No stated consequence.
absent: No consequence stated.
absent: No consequence stated.
absent: No consequence stated.
absent: No stated consequence.
absent: No stated consequence.
absent: No consequence or severity stated.
absent: No stated consequence.
absent: No stated consequence or severity.
absent: No stated consequence.
absent: No consequence or severity stated.
Systematic AI judgments with visible reasoning, not human-validated codings.
Hurricane Harvey made landfall near Rockport, Texas, late on August 25, 2017 as a Category 4 hurricane and then stalled over the greater Houston region for nearly five days, producing the heaviest U.S. rainfall total ever recorded for a single storm, more than 60 inches in some locations. The University of Houston, an urban R1 with approximately 46,000 students and 8,000 in residential housing, used its UH ALERT multi-channel emergency notification system to close the campus by 1 PM CDT on Friday August 25, well ahead of the worst rainfall. Classes had begun only four days earlier, on August 21. By Sunday August 27, the Washington Post reported that university officials had moved approximately 140 students from an off-campus housing complex that backed onto a bayou after water began entering the first floor. About 75 additional students had already been evacuated from UH's Victoria campus to the main Houston campus before the storm; many were among the roughly 2,000 residential students who rode out the storm on the main campus. UH dining halls remained open continuously to feed students unable to leave. The university remained closed through Wednesday August 30 and reopened on Thursday August 31, with classes resuming after Labor Day on Tuesday September 5. The case is significant for this archive because it documents how a large urban R1 used a modern multi-channel mass-notification system to manage a multi-day weather event affecting tens of thousands of students, including a within-storm relocation of residents from a bayou-adjacent dorm, a dynamic that mid-storm SMS alerting made possible.
Analysis
Key Findings
01UH used UH ALERT to issue a sequence of pre-storm closure, mid-storm tornado-warning shelter-in-place, and intra-campus relocation messages over a five-day window
02Approximately 140 students were relocated from a bayou-adjacent off-campus housing complex during the storm itself
03UH dining halls remained open continuously to feed roughly 2,000 stranded residential students
0475 students had already been evacuated from UH-Victoria to the main Houston campus before the storm, placing them in the path of catastrophic flooding
05Total campus closure was approximately one full week, with classes resuming after Labor Day
Outcome
No on-campus fatalities. Approximately 140 students moved out of an off-campus housing complex backing onto a bayou as water rose into the first floor; 75 additional students were evacuated from the UH-Victoria campus to UH main campus before the storm. The university remained closed through Wednesday, August 30, 2017. About 2,000 of UH's 8,000 residential students were on campus through the weekend.
Provenance
Sources
Every claim on this page is meant to be checkable. Open the links below (and the Verify this quote control under each confirmed alert) to read the original university, news, or archive page yourself. Hostnames are shown so you can see where you are going; archived copies survive when live pages move or disappear. See also our methodology.
Campus Alert Archive. "University of Houston: Floodwater enters a bayou-side dorm's first floor; about 140 residents evacuate mid-storm." Incident of August 25, 2017. Added May 2026; last updated July 2026. https://campusalertarchive.com/case/university-of-houston-hurricane-harvey-2017-08-25/