Weather / Floods & hurricanes

Water is the deadliest.

Flooding is the hazard that kills the most Texans - more than any storm. Whether it's a flash flood in the Hill Country or a hurricane on the coast, the rules that save lives are the same: never enter floodwater, and leave when you're told to.

Flash floods

TexasReady calls flooding the state's most common disaster and flash flooding a leading weather killer here. The Hill Country's steep creeks can rise from rain that fell miles upstream. On July 4, 2025, NOAA measured the Guadalupe River at Kerrville rising 32.5 feet in 90 minutes; more than 100 people lost their lives across the Hill Country. The lesson is plain: a warning or rising river means move to higher ground now.

• -Low-water crossings are especially dangerous because the road can disappear beneath fast water. If a crossing is covered, turn around and find another route.
• -Never drive around a flood barricade. It may mark water, a washed-out road, or a rescue area you cannot see from the wheel.
• -Get to high ground immediately if water is rising or a warning is issued - don't wait. And never camp in a dry creek bed in flood country (see the Rivers hub).

More on river and swimming-hole safety in the Rivers hub.

Hurricanes & tropical storms

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30. Texas coast risk is not even across that whole window; activity is usually highest in late summer and early fall. Prepare before a storm is named.

• -Storm surge is an abnormal rise of water pushed ashore by the storm. Heavy rain can also cause deadly flooding far inland, especially when a tropical system slows or stalls.
• -Prepare inland too. Hurricanes drive flooding, wind damage, tornadoes, and long power outages well inland - have your kit and plan ready across the eastern half of the state.
• -Before the season, know your route and stock up. When a storm is named, watch the National Hurricane Center and your local officials closely (see the Coast hub).

Your evacuation zone is set by your county - there's no single statewide lookup, so find your local Office of Emergency Management. More coastal safety in the Coast hub.