Hurricane Isaac turned the normal three-day Labor Day weekend into a five day weekend for students after ULM’s administrative team met Wednesday morning to assess the conditions of the storm.

While extreme weather conditions were expected, the campus sustained very little damage as a result of Isaac. The wind and rain resulted in some fallen limbs and debris throughout campus along with minor window damage and roof leaks.

No streets flooded, according to an email by President Nick Bruno.

“I want to extend my appreciation to the entire campus community for your cooperation during the last several days,” said ULM President Nick Bruno.

Bruno kept students, faculty and staff up to date throughout the week with Isaac updates via email and a special website set up by the university’s Office of Public Information.

On Wednesday, classes starting at 4 p.m. or later were canceled until after the holiday, and administrative offices closed at 5 p.m. that day until Friday morning.

Certain student and campus service functions like the SUB, Starbucks and the convenience store remained opened, while places like the bookstore and Schulze Dining Hall closed.

The expected four to eight inches of rain from the storm didn’t quite happen for Northeast Louisiana. The area only received between two and three inches of rain during the storm, but the wind gusts did reach the expected 40 to 50 mph.

Under an existing agreement, ULM’s Fant-Ewing Coliseum was equipped to serve as a Special Needs Shelter.

The Department of Health and Hospitals provided medical services to the shelter, and Louisiana’s Department of Children and Families Services operated the shelter.

The shelter never received any evacuees and closed Thursday night.

When Isaac made landfall, it was a Category 1 hurricane. It hit in southeast Louisiana on Tuesday along many Gulf Coast cities, including New Orleans, which was devastated by Hurricane Katrina nearly seven years ago to the day.

Some weather forecasters predicted more than 20 inches of rain in parts   of the state.

The $14.5 million levee project that was produced after Katrina in 2005 operated as designed during Isaac, and prevented New Orleans from receiving half the damage that could have been.

However, there was flooding outside the system. Plaquemines Parish, a region southeast of New Orleans suffered a great deal. Many residents who didn’t evacuate were stranded in their homes after water spilled over the top of a critical levee.

A dam in Pike County near the Louisiana-Mississippi border became stressed from the high waters brought by Isaac. As of press time Friday, it had not yet failed.

If it does, 17 feet of water could pour into Kentwood within 90 minutes, Jindal explained in a press briefing. The dam is being breached and drained slowly to release enough water to take pressure off the dam.

ULM began preparing for Isaac Monday. Though not much damage was caused to the campus or the area, ULM was prepared with pre-existing plans to help protect students and the community.

University offices re-opened Friday morning, but classes still did not resume until Tuesday because of the Labor Day holiday.