Faculty, staff return to Vilas Hall after flooding; cleanup continues in Vilas and Chemistry

Faculty and staff have returned to the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Vilas Hall Monday to aid in cleanup while facilities crews assess and repair flood damage there and in the Chemistry Building.

Both buildings remain closed to the public following flooding caused by burst pipes. In all, about 30 incidents of flooding occurred in 28 campus buildings from Friday through the weekend, likely caused by very low temperatures last week followed by rapid warming. No new incidents were reported as of Monday morning, suggesting the worst may have passed.

About 180 course sections scheduled for Monday and Tuesday have been relocated from both buildings to other rooms on campus. Relocations are expected to continue beyond Tuesday. Students, faculty and staff are asked to watch their university email address for specific information on new locations. Details are also being shared via alerts.wisc.edu.

The sidewalk on the east side of North Park Street between West Johnson Street and University Avenue has been closed until further notice. Traffic through campus on West Johnson Street and North Park Street may be affected by work in the buildings.

For updates, visit alerts.wisc.edu.