Texas

What natural disasters does Texas actually face?

Texas experiences hurricanes on the Gulf Coast, tornadoes primarily in North and Central Texas (Tornado Alley extends into the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex), extreme heat statewide from June through September, and winter storms that can shut down infrastructure for days.

Texas averages 132 tornadoes per year, making it the most tornado-active state in the country. The Gulf Coast faces a hurricane landfall roughly every six years on average. Summer heat regularly exceeds 100 degrees across most of the state for weeks at a time. And as February 2021 demonstrated, winter storms that would be routine in the Midwest can be severe in a state where buildings, pipes, and power systems were not designed for prolonged freezing.

Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center

How often do major disasters hit Texas?

Texas has received 367 federal disaster declarations since 1953, the most of any state. On average, a significant disaster event occurs somewhere in Texas every year.

Between 2010 and 2024, Texas experienced more billion-dollar weather disasters than any other state between 2010 and 2024, ranging from Hurricane Harvey's $125 billion in damage (2017) to $24 billion in insured losses from Winter Storm Uri alone, with total economic impact estimated far higher (2021). The state's geographic size means that different regions face different primary threats, but no part of Texas is exempt from all of them.

Source: FEMA Disaster Declarations Summary

What do most Texans get wrong about their risk?

Most Texans prepare for one hazard and ignore the others. Coastal residents think about hurricanes but not tornadoes. North Texans watch for tornadoes but dismiss winter storm risk. Almost everyone underestimates heat.

Heat is the most common weather-related health threat in Texas in most years, but it receives the least attention because it doesn't produce dramatic damage. The 2023 Texas summer saw over 330 heat-related deaths statewide — nearly all preventable with hydration, shade, and awareness. Meanwhile, fewer than half of Texans in hurricane-prone areas have a written evacuation plan. These are gaps that close with one afternoon of effort.

Source: Texas Department of State Health Services

What should you actually have ready in Texas?

A 72-hour supply of water (one gallon per person per day), food that requires no cooking or refrigeration, flashlights with extra batteries, a battery-powered weather radio, important documents in a waterproof container, and a plan your household has actually practiced.

The specifics shift by region. On the coast, add plywood or hurricane shutters, an evacuation route with two alternatives, and a full tank of gas when a storm enters the Gulf. In Tornado Alley, identify your safe room and practice reaching it in under a minute. Statewide, have a non-electric way to stay warm for 72 hours in winter. The most important supply isn't a thing. It's a decision you've already made about what you'll do when the power goes out or the sirens start.

What changes if you're moving to Texas?

Your biggest adjustment is learning that Texas weather threats vary dramatically by region, and the infrastructure doesn't always perform the way you'd expect from the second-largest state in the country.

If you're coming from the Northeast or Midwest, you may be used to reliable winter infrastructure. Texas doesn't have that. A two-inch ice storm here does what a two-foot snowstorm does up north. If you're from the West Coast, tornadoes and hurricanes are new threat categories entirely. Wherever you're from, learn your county's specific warning systems, know whether your home is in a flood zone (many Texas flood zones were redrawn after Harvey), and don't assume your old habits transfer. The risks are real, but they're different from what you're used to managing.

Who do I call in Texas?

How does Texas compare?