Texas streak of extreme weather continues with flooding in Houston

Floodwaters are receding in Texas after days of heavy rain led to disaster declarations in 88 counties, according to Gov. Greg Abbott’s office, which said 232 federal, state and local agencies are responding to the storm.

As of May 6, 2024, the state had evacuated 124 people and rescued 58 residents, while local operations rescued more than 500 people, according to a statement from the governor’s office.

“As rivers continue to rise for days, we urge Texans in these areas to listen to local officials and take necessary precautions to protect themselves and their properties,” Abbott said in a statement.

The flooding is the latest disaster to hit the Lone Star, which accounted for 16 of the 28 billion-dollar disasters the country has seen in 2023, according to the Texas Farm Bureau.

In March 2024, the Texas Panhandle experienced unprecedented wildfires that destroyed more than 1 million acres. The Smokehouse Creek Fire, which has spread to parts of Oklahoma, has burned an area larger than all of Texas’ 2023 wildfires combined, according to CoreLogic.

About 1,544 single-family residential properties with a combined rebuilding value of $356 million were located within the wildfire perimeter, CoreLogic reported.

The major flooding and record wildfires come a year after the state experienced an avalanche of claims related to severe convective storms (SCS), according to CoreLogic, which reported that the high winds and hailstorms that Accompanying SCS events have caused tens of billions of dollars in damage.

CoreLogic reported that hail is becoming increasingly costly for insurers and should be modeled with the same scrutiny as hurricanes and earthquakes.

Some 2 million homes in Texas were hit by hail at least 1 inch in diameter in 2023. For comparison, golf balls are at least 1.68 inches in diameter, according to California regulations. USGA.

CoreLogic reported that one week in May 2023 saw up to $10 billion in insured losses from “secondary perils” such as hail and straight-line winds.