Texas is no stranger to big skies and bigger weather, but 2024 reset expectations. A new statewide analysis from Barcus Arenas finds that the Lone Star State endured one of its most extreme weather years on record, spanning record heat, a rare 100 mph derecho, a multi-billion-dollar hurricane, and the largest wildfire in Texas history. The study warns that volatile conditions once viewed as “once-in-a-generation” are fast becoming a predictable part of Texas life, with escalating human and economic costs.
Texas is the second most populous U.S. state with 31,290,831 residents (trailing only California at 39,431,263) and the second largest by land area at 268,596 square miles. Its sheer size and diversity mean Texans face many kinds of hazards—sometimes in a single season. The report catalogs those threats and lays out practical steps households, businesses, and local governments can take now to prepare.
2024: A Year of Extremes
Texans saw heat records fall from the Panhandle to the border. El Paso recorded its hottest year on record with a 69.9°F annual average, and San Angelo experienced 62 days over 100°F. In May, a derecho tore across Houston with 100 mph winds, killing eight people and inflicting $1.2 billion in damage. In July, Hurricane Beryl made landfall near Matagorda County, causing more than $6 billion in losses, cutting power to 2.7 million residents, and contributing to 44 deaths. Months later, the Smokehouse Creek Fire in the Panhandle became the largest wildfire in Texas history, burning over a million acres and destroying homes and ranches.
“The signal is unmistakable: frequency and severity are both trending up,” the report notes. “2024 wasn’t an anomaly; it was a preview.”
County Hotspots: No Corner Spared
In the state’s most populous counties, extremes overlapped and compounded:
- Harris County (Houston area): Hit by the May 16 derecho, followed weeks later by Hurricane Beryl, then capped by an EF3 tornado in December. The trifecta stretched emergency systems and highlighted power-grid vulnerabilities.Dallas & Tarrant Counties (DFW): An EF3 tornado outbreak with 165 mph winds on May 25 killed seven people and knocked out power for 322,000+ residents. Across 2024, the DFW area logged 1,300+ severe weather events (hail, high winds, intense thunderstorms).Bexar, Travis, Collin, Denton: Repeated damaging wind storms, dangerous heat, and fire-weather conditions. Denton suffered direct tornado impacts; Collin saw severe storms coupled with wildfire risk in prolonged drought.Fort Bend: Beryl + derecho brought flooding, wind damage, and extensive outages.Hidalgo (South Texas): Prolonged heat waves, high humidity, and flash flooding during hurricane season.El Paso County: Notched that all-time 69.9°F average with extended drought and water constraints.
Four Decades of Escalation
Since 1980, Texas has experienced 190 billion-dollar weather and climate disasters—a massive share of national losses. The more alarming trend is the pace:
- Average per year, 1980–2024: 4.2 billion-dollar eventsAverage per year, 2020–2024: 13.6 events
Nationwide, 2024 brought 27 billion-dollar disasters, just shy of the record set in 2023. Across the Southern U.S., the shift is broad and persistent: Florida (160), Tennessee (116), Louisiana (110), and others have seen sharp increases, while the Southeast’s yearly average climbed to 13.2 from under five in prior decades.
“Texas is the South’s bellwether,” the report states. “When Texas trends, the region follows.”
Preparedness: From Optional to Essential
Despite the rising risks, FEMA estimates only 48% of Americans keep emergency supplies on hand, and just 39% maintain a written plan. The report outlines immediate, evidence-based steps:
- Household Readiness: Three-day supply of nonperishable food & water, battery-powered weather radio, backup power/chargers, copies of critical documents (digital + waterproof).Home Resilience: Build or retrofit to modern wind/flood standards (can cut damage by up to 50%); seal roofs/doors; elevate utilities; install shutters; defensible space (30 ft cleared vegetation) in fire-prone areas.Insurance & Finance: Flood insurance (even outside mapped zones), surface-water protection, inventory of possessions, emergency cash plan.Community Action: Enroll in NOAA alerts, know evacuation routes, participate in local drills, and coordinate neighborhood check-ins for seniors and medically fragile residents.
The Bottom Line
Texas’s size and growth mean more people and more assets in harm’s way. With extremes accelerating, the state and its residents must move from reaction to preparation.
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