2024 storm impacts in Houston and Harris county: a descriptive overview

This brief highlights the various challenges residents faced due to repeated disasters in Greater Houston. Over the past 40 years, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has declared disasters 52 times in the region, with over a third occurring since 2015. Between April and July 2024, the region endured multiple severe weather events, including a May derecho and Hurricane Beryl in July. The Kinder Institute surveyed over 5,000 Houston and Harris County residents to assess the cumulative impact, which had not been fully explored despite well-documented individual events.

Key findings include:

• 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.