As of 2024, Texas is the second most populous state in the U.S., with 31,290,831 residents, not too far behind first-placed California’s 39,431,263.
And, it’s the second-largest geographical state in the nation, covering 268,596 square miles (Alaska’s 665,384 square miles puts it way out in front in first place). It’s also home to some of the country’s most extreme and unpredictable weather. Over the past few decades, Texas has broken records for heat, violent tornadoes, flash floods, hurricanes, and even ice storms.
This study will consider Texas’ growing problem with extreme weather, and will look closely at the various weather events that continue to cause severe damage to the state.
We’ll also look at the best ways to prepare for an extreme weather event, as such conditions promise to become much more of a norm in the near and distant future. In terms of anticipating worsening weather in Texas and across the United States, 2024 gave a turbulent taste of what to expect.
Texas’ Extreme Weather Events
Texas Weather Damage in 2024
In 2024, Texas recorded one of its most extreme weather years. Cities like El Paso and Abilene saw record-breaking heat, with El Paso averaging 69.9°F for the year, while San Angelo endured 62 days over 100°F.
Devastating events like the 100 mph derecho storm in Houston and over $6 billion dollars of damage caused by Hurricane Beryl further emphasized the state’s growing vulnerability to severe storms, flooding, and wildfires.
The Extreme Weather Damage Toll In Texas
In recent years, Texas’ extreme and unpredictable weather has caused devastating financial and human losses. In 2024 alone, severe weather events, including hurricanes, derechos, tornadoes, wildfires, and flash floods, resulted in billions of dollars of damage.
The aforementioned Hurricane Beryl, which made landfall near Matagorda County in July, wrought a trail of destruction costing billions and also left 2.7 million people without power.
Just two months earlier, Houston’s rare and violent derecho storm killed eight people and caused $1.2 billion in damage due to its 100 mph wind speeds and multiple tornado touchdowns.
Additionally, the Smokehouse Creek Fire in the Texas Panhandle became the largest wildfire in Texan history, burning over a million acres and destroying dozens of homes and ranches.
These events highlight not only the human cost of climate-related disasters but also the severe, growing strain on local economies and emergency service resources. As extreme weather occurs more frequently, the toll on Texas communities will continue to rise, with 2024 serving as a seismic warning.
Extreme Texas Weather Counties
In 2024, Texas’s most populous counties were at the epicenter of some of the state’s most destructive and diverse weather events on record. Harris County (home to Houston) endured a brutal sequence of climate disasters, starting with the previously mentioned, financially devastating May 16 100 mph derecho.
Just weeks later, Hurricane Beryl hit the Gulf Coast, cutting power for 2.7 million residents and killing 44, and adding yet more billions in costs due to storm wreckage. And, to cap things off for the year, in December, Texas was further hit by an EF3 tornado, a rare and ominous winter outbreak.
This trifecta of high-impact storms overwhelmed emergency response systems, underscoring the strain that worsening climate volatility places on infrastructure and public safety.
Dallas and Tarrant Counties in North Texas also experienced their share of weather-related devastation. On May 25, a tornado outbreak featuring EF3 twisters and 165 mph winds killed seven people and cut power for more than 322,000 residents.
The Dallas–Fort Worth area logged over 1,300 severe weather events throughout the year, including hail, high winds, and intense thunderstorms.
Other counties in the top ten – Bexar, Travis, Collin, and Denton – were repeatedly hit by damaging wind storms, high temperatures, and dangerous fire weather conditions, especially during a scorching Texas summer. Denton, in particular, suffered direct tornado impacts, while Collin County faced a mix of severe storms and wildfire risk due to an extended drought.
Fort Bend County residents were hit hard by the overlapping effects of Hurricane Beryl and a derecho storm, the combination of which caused flooding, wind damage, and widespread power outages. Hidalgo County in South Texas experienced prolonged heat waves, high humidity, and isolated flash flooding during hurricane season.
On the far western edge of Texas, El Paso County posted the highest recorded average temperature in its history – 69.9°F – and suffered extended drought and water shortages. This is notable for illustrating how even typically dry parts of the state are now susceptible to climate extremes.
Together, these counties paint a comprehensive picture of intensifying weather severity across Texas. From coastal hurricanes and inland derechos, to panhandle wildfires and urban tornadoes, 2024 proved that no part of the state, irrespective of geography or population density, is immune to the growing threat and frequency of extreme weather.
Weather in Texas Since 1980
Since 1980, Texas has been hit by 190 billion-dollar weather and climate disasters. This is a staggering share of national extreme weather events and represents almost half of the roughly 400 major events that have taken place across the U.S. during that period.
Yet the real worry isn’t just the number: the main issue of concern is the increasing frequency of events. Texas’s average number of billion-dollar disasters per year has more than tripled, climbing from 4.2 a year between 1980 and 2024 to a troubling 13.6 per year between 2020 to 2024. In 2024 alone, the U.S. endured 27 such disasters, just shy of the record, which was set in 2023.
With its sprawling geography and vulnerability to everything from hurricanes to wildfires, Texas is bearing the brunt of an alarming national climate trend.
The South: an Extreme Weather Epicenter
Between 1980 and 2024, Southern U.S. states collectively endured an alarming surge in billion-dollar weather and climate disasters, highlighting the region’s growing vulnerability to extreme weather events.
Texas is the main state in the region for weather extremity, having suffered 190 billion-dollar weather events over the 44 years in question; Florida isn’t too far behind (160 events), with Tennessee (116) and Louisiana (110) also posting significant numbers.
While Texas has seen its yearly average of 4.2 such events per year skyrocket to 13.6, Florida (11.2) and Louisiana (8.8) yearly averages have also significantly risen.
Even states once considered relatively disaster-free have been badly afflicted by extreme weather events of late. Tennessee, North Carolina, and Virginia all now suffer 5 to 8 major disasters per year, numbers that underscore just how rapidly extreme weather frequency has escalated in the South of the country.
In fact, the Southeast regional yearly average for billion-dollar weather disasters has increased to 13.2 from just under five per year in previous decades.
Such a steep rise reflects not just a higher frequency of storms but an increase in their destructive power, and far more devastating financial consequences. From hurricanes and derechos to wildfires, flash floods, and extreme heat, the South’s climate landscape is quickly evolving.
These patterns are no longer isolated events. Instead, they’re part of a growing regional trend that’s put unprecedented strain on emergency response systems, infrastructure, and local economies across the Southern United States.
How to Prepare for Extreme Weather in Texas
With the frequency of billion-dollar weather events rising sharply across the South, being prepared is critical. According to FEMA, only 48% of Americans have emergency supplies on hand, and just 39% have an emergency plan in place, leaving millions vulnerable should disaster strike.
In storm-prone states like Texas, Florida, and Louisiana, creating a personal preparedness plan can be life-saving. This includes putting together a 3-day supply of nonperishable food and water, maintaining a battery-powered weather radio, and securing important documents, both digitally and in waterproof containers.
Structural readiness is equally important. Studies show that homes built or retrofitted to meet modern disaster-resilient demands can reduce wind and flood damage by up to 50%, particularly in hurricane- and tornado-prone areas. In fire-prone parts of Texas and the South, creating defensible space (at least 30 feet of cleared vegetation around the home) significantly reduces wildfire risk.
Additionally, residents in flood zones are encouraged to invest in flood insurance, as just one inch of floodwater can cause up to $25,000 in damage.
Ultimately, community-wide preparation, including staying informed via NOAA alerts, participating in local emergency drills, and knowing evacuation routes, can reduce injuries, fatalities, and long-term recovery costs. As extreme weather becomes a persistent threat in the South, proactive planning is no longer optional – it’s essential.
The Future of Extreme Weather in Texas
In 2024, Texas experienced one of its most devastating weather years on record, a twelve-month period marked by extreme heat, powerful storms, and record-breaking wildfires. Events like Hurricane Beryl ($6B in damages), a 100 mph derecho storm in Houston, and the Smokehouse Creek Fire collectively pushed emergency response systems to breaking point and left millions without power.
All corners of the state were affected, from coastal counties to typically dry regions like El Paso, which recorded the hottest year in its history.
Texas has seen its yearly average of 4.2 extreme weather events skyrocket to 13.6
Since 1980, Texas has faced 190 billion-dollar weather disasters, more than any other Southern state. The annual average number of severe weather events has tripled over the last five years, from 4.2 to 13.6. Florida (160), Louisiana (110), and Tennessee (116) have also been subject to steep increases. Across the South, billion-dollar events now occur on average 13.2 times per year, up from less than 5 a year in the 1980s.
With only 48% of Americans keeping emergency supplies and fewer than 40% with an emergency weather plan in place, residents across the South are not sufficiently prepared to face rising weather risks.
Experts recommend stocking disaster kits (long-life food; battery-operated radio), retrofitting homes for requisite resilience (and updating external spaces to stay inured against fires), and keeping up to date on developments via NOAA alerts.
As extreme weather becomes a year-round reality that will only get worse, proactive planning now is paramount for survival and recovery.
