The Texas Floods:
Thoughts & Actions

Our thoughts are with the people of Kerr County, Texas, the neighboring communities on the Guadalupe River, and the first responders to the catastrophic flooding that happened over the holiday weekend. We are heartbroken by the scenes of damage and destruction that have emerged. Our hopes are with the community as they face more rain and potential flooding today.

These disasters, once thought to only happen once in 100 or 500 years, are becoming more frequent because of our changing climate. The warm, tropical air that fueled this storm system can be traced back to Tropical Storm Barry, which made landfall in Mexico on June 29th. The moisture-laden air from this storm collided with the remnants of a thunderstorm front to create a new system that meteorologist Michal Lowry described as a small tropical cyclone over land, unleashing the heavy rainfall that led to this tragedy. As climate change causes both the oceans and land to warm, tropical air masses like this one are able to travel farther, and at greater strength.

The need to build with resilience is becoming increasingly apparent every day, as fires, heatwaves, power outages, and heavy rainstorms fueled by climate change put stress on buildings and infrastructure that were never designed to withstand this much pressure. To create safer communities, we must build with our changing climate in mind.

The Passive House Network will continue to advocate for common-sense policies that create safer housing, more resilient communities, and reduced emissions. We encourage you to learn more about what climate resilience looks like with Passive House by reading our 2023 report, Safe at Home, and viewing our Introduction to Passive House. To help with flood relief efforts in Kerr County, you can donate here.

For more information on building with Passive House in Texas and other hot and humid areas, we encourage you to join our Gulf Coast chapter, Passive House Gulf Coast. You can register for our next meeting on July 15th here. All are welcome.