By the early 21st century, the mantra of the Texas Miracle had become deeply entrenched in the Lone Star State’s identity. Whatever challenge may lie ahead, Texas and its economy will not only weather the storm - it will thrive.

The shale oil boom and the rise of fracking helped to make the United States the biggest oil producer in the world, surpassing Saudi Arabia and Russia, which underlined Texas’s powerhouse claim.

A changing world economy and technological progress with green energy increasingly outpricing shale oil, made the Texas Miracle crumble. Anemic oil prices rendered costly and controversial fracking technology unprofitable and uncompetitive by the middle of the century.

Prophecies by leading economists predicting “oil’s last dance for many US producers” turned out to be true. Investors withdrew support. Federal and state support to save the shale industry fell short.

With fracking companies filing for bankruptcy in droves and the oil boom over, Texas’s once-invincible state economy struggled. Facing freak weather events, flooding, droughts, and a rise in sea levels, the powerhouse had become vulnerable, its budget strained and confidence tarnished. The Texas Miracle had disappeared.

Then came Hurricane Drake, and with it, the evacuees.

The first Louisiana evacuees arrived in late September. By the end of the year, Texas had taken in close to 300,000 people, housed in over 500 mostly private for-profit facilities.

That number increased year by year, storm by storm, flood by flood. By the early 2040s the number of camps had grown to over 1,000 facilities housing more than 1.5 million people. With more and more Gulf coastline lost, it became evident - these people were here to stay. The nation’s perception changed and with it, the language. Evacuees had become refugees. And with Texans facing coastline loss and dwindling

resources themselves, tension grew, soon developing into outright hostility.

Media reports of overcrowded camps - refugees provided with foul water, left with no shelter other than their own coats or scraps of blankets, exposed to heat, sun, rain, and storm, of mosquito infestations, of inadequate medical care, and children fed expired food - put increasing pressure on prison companies and state authorities alike.

By 2048 it reached a consensus across the state - Texas could not afford to take in any more refugees. Texas had to close its borders.

But with this decision challenged in court, the borders stayed open. And, as the spring floods kept coming, and the storms kept coming, by the end of July 2048 another 300,000 people had sought refuge in the overpopulated camps along the Lone Star State’s eastern border.

Then came August - and with it, the heat.