Galveston County alone is home to 22 refineries and chemical plants. Their level of emergency preparedness varies widely.
hurricanes
Posted in
Environment
Hurricane season expected to be mild in 2026, but officials urge Texans to stay prepared
A strong El Niño weather pattern is expected to develop and intensify during the 2026 hurricane season, which could suppress the formation of tropical storms and hurricanes.
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Economy
How Texans can purchase tax free emergency supplies
From April 25–27, certain emergency supplies are tax-free if their total cost (including shipping and handling) stays below set limits.
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Guides
How Texans can prepare for extreme weather
Natural disasters — including winter storms, hurricanes, extreme heat, wildfires and droughts — can happen at any time. Preparation is key to staying safe during an emergency.
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Energy
CenterPoint Energy settles rate case, will lower power costs for customers
Houston’s main electrical company backed off plans to raise rates after facing sharp criticism for its response to massive power outages after Hurricane Beryl.
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State Government
Texas rejects insurance rate increase for coastal homeowners, businesses
Texas Windstorm Insurance Association officials argued they needed a 10% rate increase to help insure a growing number of policyholders.
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Energy
Abbott says potential power outages from Tropical Storm Francine will be restored within hours
Texas isn’t expected to take a direct hit when the storm makes landfall as a hurricane. But storm surge and dangerous winds are possible.
Posted in
The Texas Tribune-ProPublica Investigative Unit
“Now is the time to take action”: Carbon monoxide poisonings after Hurricane Beryl are the highest since Texas winter storm
Little has changed since the 2021 Texas winter storm. Power outages following Beryl’s July landfall led to two deaths and roughly 400 Texans hospitalized for carbon monoxide poisoning.
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Hurricane Beryl
Insurance rates could climb for some Texas coastal homeowners, businesses
Homeowners typically pay $2,300 a year for a Texas Windstorm Insurance Association policy. The rate increase would bump premiums by 10%.
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Energy
CenterPoint CEO promises improvements as Texas scrutinizes company’s Beryl response
Jason Wells told regulators the company will launch a new outage tracker by Aug. 1. It will also trim more tree limbs near power lines and hire an executive to focus on emergency response.
