FEMA funding and aid may be uncertain ahead of hurricane season, but Houston-area emergency management officials say they are prepared for the disasters and will seek assistance from the state for recovery efforts if necessary.

The holiday weekend is here!  Expect highs in the low to mid 90s through Monday, with heat index values around 100-105°.  A persistent southeast breeze will maintain high humidity levels and may carry haze from agricultural fires in Mexico.

FOX 26 Rashi Vats provides a 2 p.m. update on top local, state, and federal stories for Thursday, May 22, 2025.

According to WeatherBELL’s forecast, the areas most vulnerable this season are the East Coast and Florida. That’s where we could see an above-average ACE, Accumulated Cyclone Energy, which is a measure of the intensity and duration of storms. On the other hand, Bastardi is forecasting a below-average ACE for the Bay of Campeche and coastal Mexico.

Houston-area residents were outraged with CenterPoint Energy after Whataburger provided better outage information than the utility after Hurricane Beryl.

Strengthening the Greater Houston energy system Over the past 10 months, CenterPoint has been completing a series of resiliency actions and improvements to strengthen the system and reduce the risk and impact of outages to prepare for the 2025 hurricane season. Among the resiliency actions taken as part of the multi-phase initiative are:

Weeks ahead of hurricane season, National Weather Service in Houston remains short-staffed due to Trump's hiring freeze and Musk's downsizing.

A number of Houston homes remain damaged a year after the derecho, with residents facing slow recovery and rising risks as hurricane season begins.