Damages to Sacramento State's University Union from an early semester storm could cost $100,000 more than original estimates.

The downpour in Sacramento dumped over an inch of rain in less than a half an hour Sept. 19.

Water from outside rushed into the Union and soaked the building's floors.

Don Tucker, the assistant director of operations for the Union, said damage costs are not final but that Sac State could pay up to $500,000 to fix the Union's floors and other places inside the building affected by the storm.

"The carpet is the only thing left to fix," Tucker said.

He said Sac State's insurance will cover most of the cost, but the deductible will come out of the university's fund, which is paid for by student fees.

Ron Richardson, interim vice president of facilities management, said the storm came as surprise to everyone in the Sacramento Valley and that Sac State was only was only as prepared as any other facility.

"We prepare on an annual basis," Richardson said.

Sac State has plumbers who clear storm drains four times per year and who continuously make sure the sump pumps are in working condition in case they are needed to pump out flood waters after a storm or from other unexpected flooding.

Sac State's Department of Public Safety held disaster preparedness training for campus personnel last week.

Tucker said he spent all Thursday in training and that floods on campus were the police department's number one disaster concern and the focus of the training.

"We trained on how to manage disasters by getting the most done in the shortest amount of time," Tucker said.

Tucker said nothing specific on campus would receive structural changes to prepare for future floods since the campus, along with all of Sacramento, is built on a flood plain.

Laurie Hall, lead writer for University Advancement in the Public Affairs Office, said that

Sac State's drains were never designed for large amounts of rainfall all at once.

She said nothing special would be done on campus for future rains since storms that cause flooding usually do not happen in Sacramento.

George Kline, a spokesperson for the national Weather Service, said Sacramento received 3.09 inches of rain in October, which is 389 percent above normal.

A gauge that the weather service has set up at the water treatment plant near Sac State measured Sacramento's rain totals.

He said the weather service predicts that storms will taper off and bring the winter season's rainfall down to normal amounts.

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