Houston Business University

How bad is Houston in regards to Hurricanes?

I am considering Houston as a possible relocation destination. However, I have two children and am from Ohio; therefore, I know very little about what to expect on any normal season there. Are they a huge concern or is the city and the homes built there pretty well built to withstand the effects? Partially concerned and would also appreciate any information one is willing to give me to "sell" Houston to me. :) Thanks.

Public Comments

1. Florida has always had it far worse.
2. it's not that bad. The season runs from June 1 to November 30, witht he peak time for hurrican's being in August/Sept. We did get hit last year, more on the north eastern side but overall, the last one prior to that was inthe 90's. If you do move her, make sure you have insurnace for flood and hurricane damage, ti will help you in the long run.
3. Hurricanes are just a fact of life for anyone living along the Atlantic Coast. Most are just slightly stronger winds than usual but we get a "big one" every 10 years or so. We also get a few days warning so most people are prepared to sit it out or evacuate. I have 2 children also. We stayed during Hurricane Ike and lost power for about 8 days but have a generator so we were fine. They had no school for that time so they actually enjoyed it! Ike was horrible but everyone pitched in, cleaned up and got back to normal pretty quickly. I was on Harbour Island, Bahamas during Hurricane Andrew and it was much, much worse.
4. Hurricanes do not have a set pattern they travel and they do not have a set of places they usually go to. Houston is just as likely to get hit by a hurricane as any other city on the coast. Sorry I could not be more helpful but that is just the nature of a hurricane.
5. While it's always a threat, Houston isn't hit by Hurricanes very often. Ike was the worst we'd seen since the early 90's. We do get a fair share of Tropical storms. Houston's main problem is flooding. Houston Floods a lot, esp in certain areas. Houston is also so far inland that we don't see the effects that other cities closer to the coast might. I'd be less worried about hurricanes and more worried about crime in Houston. If you do plan to move here, be sure to do a lot of research into what the crime rate is in your zip code. Southwest Houston is bad and so is Northwest. Anything inside loop 610, around Bellaire, Meyerland, River Oaks, Greenway Plaza etc is nice and safe, in my opinion.
6. No worse than any other city near the Gulf of Mexico. I moved here in high school and have lived here for most of the subsequent 32 years. I always keep coming back. Just be prepared and you'll be fine.
7. We go many hurricane seasons (June 1 to November 30 every year) without a single tropical system hitting us. We get tropical storms some years. We get hurricanes some years. The big, bad ones we only get RARELY. Prior to Ike (September 12-13, 2008), the last storm of that magnitude was Alicia which hit in August of 1983. The one before that of that magnitude was Carla which hit in September of 1961. Usually it is just an annoyance and it means time off of work or school. Then sometimes it is a bigger weather maker. Most of the time in that case, you shelter in at home. You keep a supply of batteries for flashlights and radio and water for drinking. You should also keep canned food and a non-electric can opener. Just prior to the system hitting, you fill your bathtub with water for flushing the toilet. You gather up things on your patio or from your yard which might become airborne if the winds are high enough. The power sometimes in some places never goes out. If it does go out, the power companies will be out to reconnect service as soon as they can. Sometimes that is a matter of hours and sometimes it is a few days. If it is a tropical storm, it moves slowly and has the potential of dumping massive amounts of rain. Roads might be closed. Businesses and schools might shut down. Home is the best place to be in this case, the vast majority of the time. If it is a hurricane, it moves faster and is much windier. The damage done is by wind. It can uproot large trees and send them crashing onto cars or roofs in worst case scenario. But most of the time, the damage done is by missle effect of stuff left outside--a flower pot or a toy in the back yard. What happened last summer was a worst case scenario. It rarely happens. When it does, the county judge will issue evacuation zones. Understand, there are bad things of the natural variety which happen all over the US. Big tornados in Oklahoma and Kansas, flooding in various places, blizzards in New England and the Mountainous West, mudslides and earthquakes out west. So when you asked your question with emphasis on the bad, I gave you the bad first. But you also asked for the upside of Houston. The suburbs have great schools and good houses of worship providing activities for kids and teens. There is good shopping and you are not very far from water--sea or lake or even Galveston Bay. We are not having much of the recession at this point and the cost of living is almost always lower in Greater Houston than in many other places in the US. Although Houston is not usually thought of as a great vacation destination, it makes a wonderful home and a great place to raise children.