The United States has experienced multiple powerful hurricanes in recent years.

As the Atlantic hurricane season approaches, Houston Public Media reports that many residents of Houston are not confident in their hurricane preparedness.

What's happening?

According to Colorado State University's 2025 Atlantic hurricane forecast, this season will have more hurricanes, more hurricane days, and more named storms than average. 

This could be particularly worrying for Houston. A 2024 Rice University survey indicated that only 8% of Harris County residents reported feeling "very well prepared" for a natural disaster — 58% said they felt "somewhat prepared."

A typical Atlantic hurricane season runs from about June through November. As Climate Central reported, rising ocean temperatures fueled by human-caused changes in climate are leading to more intense hurricanes.

Hurricane Beryl struck Houston in July 2024, claiming at least 36 lives in the city and around 64 lives total. In addition, more than 2.7 million Texas homes and establishments lost power. 

Why is extreme weather concerning?

Many scientists agree that, while natural disasters are a part of life on Earth, rising global temperatures — caused by human activities — have supercharged these weather events. And instances of extreme weather as well as the broader pattern of stronger hurricanes can have devastating impacts on human life.

For one, these storms can kill and injure people. Hurricane Helene, which hit the U.S. in September 2024, killed at least 238 people across six states in the U.S. 

These storms also destroy property, causing extensive damage to homes, businesses, and whole communities. Hurricane Katrina, the costliest hurricane in recorded U.S. history, caused $104.5 billion in damages — adjusted for 2024 USD value — according to the Insurance Information Institute.

Hurricanes and the flooding they cause can pose other enormous financial burdens. Insurance rates are rising in disaster-prone areas to account for potential damage.

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What's being done about extreme weather?

In an effort to help Americans get ready for natural disasters and their effects, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has a Preparedness Guide to walk residents through some basic steps. 

While some precautions are more important in certain areas and situations, basic protections for your home might include securing roofing and gutters, investing in flood pumps, and installing storm-proof windows and doors. 

Investing in solar, especially solar panels combined with an energy storage system, can help make your home more resilient to extreme weather events that can knock power out for days or weeks. If you're interested in installing solar panels for your home, EnergySage's free service can be used to compare quotes from vetted local solar installers.

Perhaps most importantly, you'll want to know safe evacuation routes — an emergency radio can keep you in the loop. You'll also want to keep a store of clean water, non-perishable food, and first aid supplies. Making a community plan in advance can be helpful in enabling neighbors to stay in contact and check in on each other. 

"There are steps we can be taking," Daniel Potter told Houston Public Media. Potter is the director of the Kinder Institute's Houston Population Research Center.

"We're not going to prepare our way out of our next disaster, but by taking particular steps and being a little more prepared, we're setting ourselves up to have a better recovery afterwards."

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