Houston, Texas —The 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season officially came to an end on November 30. This season reminded us that severe weather can occur any time, and it doesn’t need to be hurricane season to make an impact.
Heavy rains in April brought widespread flooding along the San Jacinto River in northwest Harris County. In May, a straight-lined wind event known as a derecho, moved through the area with sustained hurricane force winds of 80-100 mph, causing significant damage to structures and utility infrastructure within a matter of minutes.
The county then faced Hurricane Beryl in July, causing millions of customers to lose power and upended millions of yards of vegetative debris straining recovery efforts.
“Hurricane Beryl is an excellent example of how just one hurricane can define the whole season,” said Harris County Emergency Management Coordinator Mark Sloan. “All of our efforts to build a stronger and more resilient community start with all of us being prepared for the unexpected year-round.”
According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), as of mid-November, federal support hit $1.6 billion for Texas, six months after both Presidential Disaster Declarations.
- Texas Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding (Declared May 17, 2024)
- Texas Hurricane Beryl (Declared July 9, 2024)
In total, the 2024 hurricane season produced 18 named storms, 11 of which were hurricanes, including 5 major hurricanes.
Although hurricane season has officially ended for the year, HCOHSEM encourages residents to stay prepared and informed year-round. Residents can access disaster preparedness tools, including checklists, hurricane brochures, and resources for kids by visiting www.readyharris.org and signing up for Ready Harris Alerts and Ready Harris Accessible Alerts.
The 2025 Atlantic Hurricane season begins June 1, 2025.
ABOUT HCOHSEM
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo is the Director of the Harris County Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management, a national model of best practices in emergency planning, preparation, response, and recovery. HCOHSEM helps prepare, safeguard, and protect the residents and property of Harris County from the effects of disasters through effective planning, preparation, response, and recovery activities.
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