Texas is a beautiful and wonderful place to live, with vibrant communities and amazing scenery. It also happens to be one of the more dangerous states in the country, at least as far as natural disasters are concerned.
Texas ranks only behind California as the state with the most destructive weather, defeating other states such as Florida for the title. Many natural disasters in Texas can ravage your home and it’s important to be prepared if you live within the state borders.
What are the kinds of extreme weather elements that you’ll need to look out for and plan around? Read on and we’ll give you a general summary of the most common.
Hurricanes in Texas
You might not associate hurricanes with the state of Texas, located as it is closer to the center of the country. However, Texas is surrounded by a great deal of water and is hit quite often by the impact of these huge cyclone storms.
When hurricane season starts in June every year, Texans must take the proper steps to prepare themselves. While hurricanes don’t necessarily make their way ashore every year, tropical storms often do. With huge wind gusts and large amounts of rain, these tropical storms can still wallop homes across the Texas landscape.
Of course, a hurricane can hit and bring about a lot of destruction. Most Texans probably remember the landfall of Hurricane Harvey in mid-2017 and the problems it left behind.
Harvey arrived with over 130mph winds and ravaged the state. An immense loss was experienced due to the storm, with over a hundred deaths and billions of dollars in damage.
There are many ways to be prepared for a hurricane, but ensuring your home is water safe is probably the most important thing you can do. Are you prepared for flooding and do you have flood insurance in place? If yes, you’ll be better equipped for a hurricane than many.
If you’ve been ravaged by a storm already, looking into help from home restoration services might be necessary.
Tornadoes in Texas
Despite the playful alliteration, this natural disaster is no joke for those living in the Lone Star state. Texas is home to the most tornadoes in the United State, which is somewhat due to the massive size and land that the state covers.
On average, Texas witnesses hundreds of tornadoes every year. Many occur in the North Texas region, near the Red River Valley.
A tornado, as you likely know, can be quite dangerous and can create a huge amount of damage. If you live in an area that is prone to these kinds of natural storms, it is well worth investing in a tornado shelter of some sort.
This is often a basement-dwelling where you can hide from the wind and damage that this kind of storm can bring on. You need to act fast when it comes to tornadoes as they can form and touch the ground within five minutes.
Unlike hurricanes, there is not a lot of advanced warning and you need to be prepared at all times.
Drought in Texas
What’s the opposite of a hurricane? Drought, which is another natural phenomenon that Texas experiences quite frequently.
Heat emergencies plague the Texas landscape each year, with temperatures reaching dangerous levels and drying out the landscape. This kind of extreme heat can be just as dangerous as any storm, especially when it comes to the young and elderly, who are more at risk.
Drought can impact the amount of available water in the state, making it difficult for many to get this important resource. It also increases the odds of other natural disasters from occurring, whether it be wildfires or flash flood landslides.
It’s important to stay inside on days where extreme heat advisories are put in place. Going out at high temperatures could be dangerous or even fatal.
Wildfires in Texas
Just how common are these kinds of wildfires in Texas? The answer might surprise you, as Texas has more fires than just about any state in the country, except California.
The dry environment can turn trees and plants into easy tinder, waiting for a fire to come along and set everything ablaze. Many of the fires in the state are caused by humans, carelessly burning debris, discarding cigarettes, and so on.
A fire that gets out of control can ravage communities across the state. The fire itself can reach communities and burn down homes, businesses, and community resources. Even if a wildfire doesn’t reach the homes of inhabitants of the state, the massive amounts of smoke that can be released can be dangerous as well.
Unclean air quality can pose a health risk for all in the vicinity of a fire-ravaged area. The wildfires that hit Texas in 2011 caused the death of four individuals and created over $300 million worth of damage in the state.
That’s some serious business. There’s not a lot you can do to help prepare your home for the odds of wildfires. Keeping a solid home insurance policy in place can be a huge advantage.
Understanding Natural Disasters in Texas
Texas might be an amazing place to live, but there’s a lot to keep on top of as well. If you’re hoping to live in the state, you’ll need to take the time to understand all the natural disasters in Texas and what you’ll need to do to overcome them.
Need more advice for the home? Keep scrolling our blog for more.
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