Over the past 40 years, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has declared disasters 52 times in the Greater Houston area, with more than a third of these events occurring since 2015. From late April to early July in 2024 — a period of less than three months — the region faced impacts from multiple weather events.
The Kinder Institute surveyed over 5,000 individuals across Houston and Harris County about the impacts of these events, which included a derecho in May and Hurricane Beryl in July. The individual impacts of each event were well documented as they occurred, but the cumulative toll on the Houston area and its residents had not been as fully explored. This brief provides an overview of the various impacts residents experienced.
Key findings
- The most common impact of the 2024 extreme weather on Houston and Harris County residents was power outage, affecting 9 in 10. Over 7 in 10 residents lost power for more than two days.
- Nearly 8 in 10 residents had to throw away food from their refrigerator or freezer because of prolonged power loss, with the majority saying it was worth over $250.
- Over two-thirds of residents reported their health was impacted, most commonly their sleep quality.
- More than half of workers reported losing income.
