UTHealth Houston Emergency Communications

This website is designed to provide The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston community with the most current information about the status of schools and business units, university buildings, and information systems status.

Current Campus Status

ALL CLEAR All buildings at UTHealth are open and operational.

Operational Status of schools and business units

Facility Status of university buildings on campus

Information Systems Status

The UT Police at Houston Risk Operations Center operates 24/7/365.

  • Dial, 911 for emergencies or an imminent threat requiring police response.
  • Dial 713-792-2890 for non-emergency calls. If unable to reach UT Police at 713-792-2890, please call 713-563-1049.

Severe weather

UTHealth Houston will communicate through email and the UTHealth Houston ALERT text message system about severe weather. If the weather is severe enough for the university to transition to controlled access or delayed opening, that information will also be posted on the UTHealth Houston intranet, inside.uth.edu, and on the UTHealth Houston Emergency Communications webpage, www.uthealthemergency.org. The university community can also call the Emergency Weather Line at 713-500-9996 to check the operational status of the Houston campus. The community can also call the remote line at 866-237-0107, which is housed outside of Houston.

In a serious weather emergency, UTHealth Houston employees and students may find out whether the institution is officially open by the following means:

  • Tune in to local radio and television stations.
  • Employees with offices in the McGovern Medical School, UT Professional Building or Jesse Jones Library Building may call 713-500-7999.
  • • UTHealth Houston Behavioral Sciences Campus employees (UTHealth Houston Harris County Psychiatric Center and John S. Dunn Behavioral Sciences Center at UTHealth Houston) should call 713-741-5001.
  • The status of operations at each UT Physicians locations is determined by the UT Physicians administration. All UT Physicians employees are expected to report for duty at their scheduled time unless otherwise requested. If there is a clinic closure, practice managers will notify their staff using call trees devised and maintained by each individual clinic.
  • All other employees and students may call 713-500-9996.
  • Closings and other emergency conditions will be posted at www.uthealthemergency.org.
  • If Houston phone numbers listed above are out-of-order, please call toll-free, 1-866-237-0107 for university closure information.

If these communication media are out of order or do not provide adequate information, employees should call their supervisors. All employees and supervisors are reminded to keep mobile phone numbers on hand so that they can reach each other in case of emergency. Supervisors should exercise their best judgment in allowing UTHealth Houston employees to use appropriate leave time in the event of family emergencies or concerns about getting to work safely. Employees should discuss their situation with their supervisor.

Employees defined by their department as “essential” and employees and students with clinical obligations at hospitals and other locations should check with their supervisors.

Weather monitoring websites:

Students

If the university is closed, formal classes (whether virtual or in person) will be cancelled.

At the School of Dentistry, in case of unexpected circumstances requiring cancellation of appointments, patients who have scheduled appointments through axiUm will be notified by the automated system. Additionally, students and clinics are encouraged to touch base personally with their patients.

At the McGovern Medical School, third- and fourth-year students should check their emails regarding clinical rotation closures.

At the Cizik School of Nursing, for master’s level students in the nurse anesthesia program, if the hospital is open, the students are expected to meet their clinical obligations.

At the School of Public Health, anyone with clinical duties is still required to fulfill those duties.

At the MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, with regard to lectures, didactic classes and other official on-campus school functions, the school will close when our first parent institution (UTHealth Houston or MD Anderson) closes, and re-open when the last one re-opens. Notices about the status of classes will be posted on the school’s website. Students should follow their faculty advisor's institutional policies to determine when to return/report to their laboratories.

Essential Employees

Essential employees have been designated by their department heads as essential to the continued performance of their department and/or the university.

Essential employees include faculty and staff who are required to sustain clinical services and/or who are responsible for the protection of university assets. Essential employees will be required to report to their designated work site during their appointed work schedule even when the institution has been officially declared closed due to adverse conditions. If an essential employee cannot report to work, they must contact their direct supervisor to advise of the situation as soon as possible.

Business Continuity

Based upon past experience, 30 days post event is the most critical timeframe with regard to immediate recovery decisions, resource procurement, and the establishment of temporary means and locations of essential functions. The UTHealth Houston Business Continuity Plan (BCP) is intended to describe actions and decision-making capabilities for that time frame by suggesting enhanced pre-event strategies to reduce or eliminate the impacts of emergencies at the local operational level. This process is ongoing within the clinical, educational, and research mission areas with the assistance of Environmental Health and Safety. This element of the BCP is intended to provide a guide to essential institutional infrastructure services for the UTHealth Houston community in the event normal operations are curtailed due to the occurrence of an event.

Disability and Weather Emergencies

If you or a family member has a disability and needs help to prepare to leave your home or shelter in place, visit www.disability911.com to see hurricane planning tips for people with disabilities, their family members and caregivers, as well as information for emergency planning and response.

More Information

For more information see HOOP 85: Controlled Access Status for Emergency, Disaster or Severe Weather in the Handbook of Operating Procedures (HOOP) or the Emergency Management Plan PDF.

Public Transportation to the Texas Medical Center