Criora

Climate risk in Houston

Texas, United States of America · 4.5M people in the urban area

What threatens Houston most

Water stress
Medium-High WRI Aqueduct
Drought
Medium-High WRI Aqueduct
River flood
0.42 m in a 100-year flood

Tsunamis and landslides are not rated for a single city here. Climate risk profile of United States of America

A 100-year river flood would stand 0.42 m deep in the centre of Houston.

New York: Dry at the city centre point.

0.42 m © OpenStreetMap
0 3 m
See how deep a river flood reaches around Houston on the live map

Houston's climate in the 2050s

2041-2060 compared with 1991-2020, moderate emissions

By the 2050s, Houston's climate will still be more like its own today than any other large city's. The nearest other is Jacksonville (United States of America).

Climate risk in Jacksonville

+1.5°C

Mean temperature over the year

+1.5°C

Highest in the warmest month

+1.5°C

Lowest in the coldest month

-4%

Precipitation over the year

Under high emissions, Houston would stay nearest its own climate today.

Its own climate today is 1.3 σ away. How close the match is: 4.2 σ to the climate of Jacksonville today, where under 2 is close and over 4 is no match (Mahony et al. 2017). 3 of 3 climate model runs name the same city. Seasonal temperature and rain are compared, not extremes, city heat or the sea.

Sources: TerraClimate NASA Earth Exchange Global Daily Downscaled Projections (NEX-GDDP-CMIP6)

Where else Houston stands out

+2.5°C

Warming by 2050, moderate emissions

New York: +2.7°C.

Higher than in 86% of the world's 630 large cities

19 days

Days with 20 mm of rain or more in 2025

New York: 9 days.

Higher than in 82% of the world's 630 large cities

Hazards at Houston

Read at the city's centre and compared with the Atlas's 630 large cities. Moderate emissions is the IPCC's scenario SSP2-4.5.

Hot days in 2025, over 35 °C 1 day Among large cities: above 38% In United States of America: 26 of 51
Tropical nights in 2025, over 20 °C 181 days Among large cities: above 70% In United States of America: 5 of 51
Hottest day of 2025 35.1°C Among large cities: above 38% In United States of America: 30 of 51
Warming by 2050, moderate emissions +2.5°C Among large cities: above 86% In United States of America: 26 of 51
Days with 20 mm of rain or more in 2025 19 days Among large cities: above 82% In United States of America: 2 of 51
River flood depth, 100-year event 0.42 m Among large cities: above 92% In United States of America: 7 of 51
Coastal flood depth, 100-year event Dry at the city centre point
Water stress Medium-High (20-40%) Among large cities: above 43% In United States of America: 18 of 48
Drought risk Medium-High Among large cities: above 13% In United States of America: 1 of 48
Earthquake shaking, once in 475 years 0.12 m/s² Among large cities: above 14% In United States of America: 43 of 51
Land burned in an average year 0%
Cyclone wind, once in 100 years 41.47 m/s

Flood depth is read in a single 1 km cell at the city's centre, in today's climate. Other parts of the city can still flood. The country page names the deepest point near a coastal city in 2080, so its figure can be higher. See how deep a river flood reaches around Houston on the live map

Sources: ERA5 Single Levels Daily Statistics NASA Earth Exchange Global Daily Downscaled Projections (NEX-GDDP-CMIP6) Aqueduct Floods Hazard Maps IPCC AR6 Sea Level Projections Aqueduct 4.0 Water Risk Framework GSHAP Global Seismic Hazard Map Global Biomass Burning at 500 m (GFED500) About these sources

See the warming around Houston on the live map

+2.5°C © OpenStreetMap
-2 8 °C

Large cities near Houston

Large cities in United States of America

Climate risk profile of United States of America

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In a line

Source: Criora (criora.com), based on ECMWF, NEX-GDDP-CMIP6, WRI, IPCC, GSHAP, GFED500

APA

Criora. (2026). Houston, United States of America: climate risk profile [Data set]. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://criora.com/atlas/USA/houston

BibTeX

@misc{criora_atlas_USA_houston_2026,
  author = {{Criora}},
  title = {Houston, United States of America: climate risk profile},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://criora.com/atlas/USA/houston},
  urldate = {2026-11-02}
}

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