Only about one in three Fort Bend County residents owns a generator, according to a new Rice University survey that included the county for the first time.

The study, first reported by Houston Public Media, was conducted by the Houston Population Research Center at Rice's Kinder Institute for Urban Research. It found that 35% of Fort Bend County respondents reported owning a generator. That trailed Montgomery County, where more than half of respondents owned one, and Harris County at 38%.

The gap matters for Missouri City and Stafford residents who remember the days-long power outages after Hurricane Beryl struck in July 2024. Nearly half of all generator purchasers surveyed said they bought theirs during or after that storm.

Income shapes preparedness

Across the Houston area, income was the strongest predictor of how ready a household felt for a disaster. Among respondents earning less than $25,000 a year, 49% said they would be "not at all" or "not too prepared" if a natural disaster hit. Those households were also the least likely to own a generator.

Households earning $150,000 or more were more likely to have documented and insured their property and set aside emergency savings, the survey found.

Daniel Potter, co-director of the Houston Population Research Center at the Kinder Institute, said cost is a barrier.

"Some of them that have a little bit of a price tag attached to them are going to be a little bit more challenging for people to do who are earning less money," Potter told Houston Public Media.

Potter said organizations such as West Street Recovery and United Way can help lower-income residents prepare. He also stressed that disaster readiness is a year-round concern.

Average resident skips key steps

Houston-area residents reported completing an average of five out of 10 precautionary actions listed in FEMA's National Household Survey. FEMA is the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Common steps included signing up for weather reports and insuring property. Making emergency plans and practicing drills received far less attention.

Fort Bend and Montgomery counties were added to the Greater Houston Community Panels survey for this edition. The survey's scope is set to expand again, adding Galveston County in late 2026 or early 2027.

How to prepare

Fort Bend County residents can sign up for emergency alerts by texting FBC ALERT to 888777, according to Fort Bend County Emergency Management. The county's emergency management office can be reached at 281-342-6185, and Missouri City's emergency management line is 281-403-4370, according to the 2026 Southeast Texas Hurricane Guide.