DisasterAWARE
5
High

drought Drought Risk in Houston, TX

Risk Level: High — Score 5/10

FEMA: 5Historical: 10

Live Drought alert status near Houston

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Key Risk Factors

  • Moderate risk rating based on FEMA National Risk Index
  • Estimated annual loss of $550K from this hazard type
  • 5 events on record in proximity
  • Average annual frequency: 15.9 events per year
  • Largest recent event exposed 47,875,000 people

Peak season: June-September

Last significant event: Drought - Western United States (2024-04-11) — 47,875,000 people exposed

Highest Risk Cities for Droughts

1
Fresno, CA
FEMA: 9Historical: 0
2
Mexico City, Mexico
Risk: 9Historical: 0
3
Istanbul, Turkey
Risk: 9Historical: 10
4
Bogota, Colombia
Risk: 9Historical: 10
5
Santiago, Chile
Risk: 9Historical: 0
6
Beijing, China
Risk: 9Historical: 1
7
Cairo, Egypt
Risk: 9Historical: 10
8
Kathmandu, Nepal
Risk: 9Historical: 1
9
Yangon, Myanmar
Risk: 9Historical: 1
10
Phoenix, AZ
FEMA: 7Historical: 10
Houston is not in the top 10 for drought risk among tracked cities.

How Houston Compares

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Notable Drought Events Near Houston

DisasterAWARE's historical archive records 5 notable drought events near Houston, ranked below by impact. The most impactful: Drought - Western United States (April 2024) — 47,875,000 people exposed; $5,420,167M capital exposed.

Drought - Western United States

April 10, 2024 — WARNING

47,875,000 people exposed; $5,420,167M capital exposed

Drought - Western United States

April 10, 2024 — WARNING

36,375,000 people exposed; $4,002,183M capital exposed

Drought - Southern United States

April 16, 2023 — WARNING

24,500,000 people exposed; $2,630,998M capital exposed

Drought - Southern United States

October 27, 2021 — WARNING

Impact data not available

Drought - Central United States

November 6, 2019 — WARNING

Impact data not available

Drought Preparedness Tips

  • 1.Reduce water usage — fix leaks, use water-efficient appliances
  • 2.Use drought-resistant landscaping and native plants
  • 3.Follow local water use restrictions and conservation guidelines
  • 4.Store emergency water supplies for drinking and sanitation
  • 5.Be aware of increased wildfire risk during drought conditions

Related Pages

earthquake
Earthquake Risk in Houston
Score: 5/10
wildfire
Wildfire Risk in Houston
Score: 3/10
hurricane
Hurricane Risk in Houston
Score: 9/10
flood
Flood Risk in Houston
Score: 9/10
tornado
Tornado Risk in Houston
Score: 9/10
winter-storm
Winter Storm Risk in Houston
Score: 9/10
landslide
Landslide Risk in Houston
Score: 5/10
extreme-heat
Extreme Heat Risk in Houston
Score: 9/10
high-wind
High Wind Risk in Houston
Score: 9/10
tsunami
Tsunami Risk in Houston
Score: 0/10
drought
Drought Risk in Austin, TX
Score: 3/10
drought
Drought Risk in San Antonio, TX
Score: 5/10
drought
Drought Risk in Dallas, TX
Score: 3/10

How this data is built

Houston, TX drought risk combines Historical Event Intelligence with authoritative hazard modeling from the Geospatial Intelligence Layers catalog. Live drought monitoring is available through the Event Intelligence API and the DisasterAWARE Platform.

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