While most of the Houston region had recovered from Hurricane Beryl, 6% of residents were still struggling more than a year later.
This brief describes persistent challenges from the July 2024 storm based on responses from an October and November 2025 survey of more than 9,000 residents. It highlights how recovery remains uneven, disproportionately impacting lower-income households with fewer resources and greater barriers to aid.
Key findings
- Return to normalcy was related to income. Residents in households making less than $25,000 were more likely to report that their daily lives were still somewhat or very disrupted.
- The most common ongoing issues reported by those still recovering were property damage and lingering repairs (67%), followed by:
- Unanticipated expenses or lost income (47%)
- Insufficient insurance payouts and delayed or denied FEMA assistance (15%)
- Physical and mental health challenges (6%)
- Most recovering respondents experienced overlapping challenges that compounded barriers, increasing vulnerability and delaying return to normal day-to-day life.
Findings from this brief demonstrate how recovery from a disaster can be a long, costly process for residents. To make the region more resilient, state and local leaders can develop more robust, sustained assistance programs with guidance from residents.
