Nicholls State University weathered Hurricane Isaac better than other parts of Louisiana, but there are some minor repairs needed that the University was not prepared for.  
Physical plant personnel surveyed buildings around campus on Thursday after the storm and also began the cleanup process.
Michael Davis, assistant vice president for facilities, said the hardest-hit areas on campus were still not as severe as they could have been.  
“I’d classify the damage to campus as light,” Davis said.  
Previous leaks in the roof of Stopher Gym caused more rain to enter during the storm. Water also entered the gym through air vents on the roof.  As a result, the gym floor was damaged.  
“When wood gets wet it begins to swell since there is no place for the water to go,” Davis said.  “Once it stops raining, we may get some humidity control and the floor will settle down.”  
The recreation center, which was set to open at the beginning of September, also sustained damage.  Roof caps over the weight room area of the recreation center were torn off, causing rain to pour in.
Davis said that part of the recreation center has a rubberized floor, which helped reduce the amount of damage to that area.  
“If this would have happened in the gym area we would have some serious problems and damage,” Davis said.  
The latest promise date for the recreation center was set for Aug. 31.  Since construction was delayed because of Hurricane Isaac, the University plans to announce an opening date for later this month.  
Davis said having physical plant personnel come in early after the storm helped to reduce damage in buildings before it got worse.  
For example, there was water in the hallways of Ayo Hall that entered from the elevator pit.  There was also a lab with missing ceiling tiles caused by water damage.  However, Davis said students were able to use that classroom this week.  
There was also roof damage in Lindsley Hall (band hall), Talbot Hall, the student publications building and the mechanic shop.  
Davis said the rest of the damages in buildings on campus were caused by wind driven rain that will most likely not occur again.  
“Out of everything on the list, none of it was major,” he said.  
As students returned to Nicholls on Tuesday, traces of a storm passing through the campus were minimal.  
Davis credits the physical plant staff and volunteers who helped speed up cleanup efforts.  
“They are why the campus itself looked pretty good,” he said.  
He said while students were still away, clean up crews worked through the rain to help pick up debris and fallen tree branches.  Volunteer staffs from Nicholls arrived at 7 a.m. on Saturday and worked until noon to help with repairs that would have taken the University longer to take care of alone.  
“It shows their love and dedication for this University,” he said.