The Texas Historical Commission told the House Culture, Recreation & Tourism Committee that natural disasters and extreme weather present rising risks to historic sites across Texas and that the commission is updating disaster response planning and pursuing insurance and storage solutions for high‑risk collections.

"We are looking at developing and updating a more comprehensive natural disaster plan to address many of the different regions that we have properties," Joseph Bell, executive director of the Texas Historical Commission, said. He said the agency manages 42 state historic sites and ranks properties for risk using tools such as the FEMA National Risk Index.

Bell reviewed past disasters that damaged historic properties: Hurricane Harvey directly hit Rockport's Fulton Mansion and required two years of repair; an EF‑4 tornado destroyed the visitor center at Caddo Mounds in 2019 during a public event; and threats from wildfires and flooding have prompted site evacuations and fire breaks.

Bell said the commission and TPWD have a memorandum of agreement for mutual aid in emergencies and that a statewide programmatic agreement including FEMA, the Texas Historical Commission and the Texas Division of Emergency Management is used for disaster recovery consultation. He said the commission has consulted on more than 18,000 disaster recovery projects in the last eight years.

The commission said it has pursued insurance for high‑risk properties and for collections held in trust, and noted a Sunset Committee recommendation to build a joint collections storage facility serving multiple state agencies. Bell said some progress has occurred at the General Land Office and at Library and Archives, but that a joint facility for multiple collections has not advanced and the agency seeks a path forward.

Bell also described instances when local alarm or communication systems failed: in the Caddo Mounds tornado, local alarm systems did not alert the public and several people were caught off guard, highlighting the need to reexamine warning and shelter procedures at historic sites.

No new policy was adopted during the hearing; the commission said it will continue updating site emergency plans, consult with FEMA and seek partnerships to speed collection protection and recovery.