What are the Chances?

Everything is Big in Texas, Including Disasters

As of the end of 2021, Texas holds the record for the deadliest U.S. hurricane in recorded history: the 1900 Galveston hurricane, believed to be responsible for as many as 12,000 deaths

(National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [NOAA], 2021).

Hurricane Harvey, which damaged the Texas coast and flooded the Houston area in 2017, is ranked as the second costliest U.S. hurricane since 1900, causing approximately $125 billion in damages (NOAA, 2022).

Texas had 5,576 wildfires in 2021, second only to California’s 9,260 wildfires (Insurance Information Institute, 2021).

The February 2021 winter storm was the direct or indirect cause of at least 246 deaths (Texas Department of State Health Service, 2021).

More than 4.5 million homes and businesses lost power (more than 10 million people)—many for three days or longer—during below-freezing temperatures (Busby et al., 2021).

In 2021, 9 Severe Storm, 1 Tropical Cyclone, 1 Flooding, and 1 Winter Storm billion-dollar disaster events affected Texas.

NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, 2022

Overview of Texas Disasters and Health-Care Provider Priorities

• Disasters include storms, floods, wildfires and disease outbreaks that can occur in any part of the state, with or without notice, and can be localized or widespread.
• Most disasters are local, so health-care providers should focus on getting connected to local emergency management systems to obtain resources.
• Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Texas experienced at least one major disaster every calendar year, on average.
• Lessons learned from previous disasters can help Texas Health Steps providers identify steps to prepare their practice and their patients for disasters.