Lessons learned from Hurricane Beryl
The 1-2 punch of hurricanes and extreme heat will be more likely in 2050
After the Houston metropolitan region experienced a direct hit from Hurricane Beryl, an estimated 2.6 million people lost power. Making the situation worse, a heat wave following the storm contributed to the deaths of at least 12 Houston area residents due to the heat and loss of power.
Historical temperatures are from the year 2000. Moderate emissions scenario in 2050 reflects SSP2-4.5. Heat wave days refer to t he number of days occurring in a year during multiday (two or more) heat events during which the daily average temperature exceeds 86°F.
Unfortunately, this 1-2 punch is likely to become more common in the future. New projections from ICF’s climate risk analytics platform, ClimateSight, indicate a significant increase in heat wave days in the Houston region by 2050. Large parts of the Houston metropolitan region could experience 60-100 heat wave days per year, a significant increase from the 40 or fewer such days per year in the recent past.
The double whammy of sequential climate hazards such as significant hurricanes followed by intense and long duration heat waves often cause outsized and cascading impacts. Hurricane force winds during Beryl caused major power outages in southeast Texas. In turn, loss of air conditioning during long duration power outage caused many impacts during the subsequent heat wave, including direct risks to elderly, people with medical conditions, and residents in disadvantaged communities.
Integrated resilience planning is necessary to account for future climate change hazards and the interconnected and complex ways they impact infrastructure and human systems. To address this, we've identified five approaches to help disadvantaged communities in southern Texas and other impacted regions prepare for and adapt to the effects of extreme heat. Read our report for a closer look at the climate data our experts used to forecast risks and offer insights on climate adaptation strategies.