Storm Season Alert

GIBB Insurance Services  |  Property Coverage Guide

Understanding hurricane insurance in Texas is essential for every homeowner — especially as storm season runs June 1 through November 30.

When it comes to hurricane coverage in Texas, most homeowners assume one policy covers everything — it doesn’t.

📍 Dallas, Texas
✦ June 1 – November 30
By Susana Gibb

When it comes to hurricane coverage in Texas, most homeowners assume one policy handles everything — it doesn’t. Hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30, and whether you’re in DFW or own property along the Texas Gulf Coast, understanding what’s covered (and what isn’t) can be the difference between a manageable claim and a financial crisis.

Let’s break it down clearly.

Hurricane Coverage in Texas: What Your Homeowners Policy Actually Covers

A standard homeowners insurance policy covers many types of wind damage — broken windows from a severe storm, a tree branch through your roof, rain that enters through a wind-created opening. For most inland Texas homeowners, hurricane wind damage may fall under this policy, but there are important exceptions depending on where you live.

What’s typically covered:

• Wind damage to your roof, siding, and structure
• Rain that enters through a wind-created opening
• Debris removal
• Additional living expenses if your home is uninhabitable during repairs

Coastal Properties: Wind May Be a Separate Policy

If you own property along the Texas Gulf Coast — in areas like Galveston, Corpus Christi, the Rio Grande Valley, or other designated coastal counties — your standard homeowners policy may not include wind coverage at all.

In high-risk coastal zones, private carriers routinely exclude wind damage. Homeowners in those areas must obtain a separate windstorm policy, often through the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA), the state’s insurer of last resort for eligible coastal properties.

Key things to know about TWIA and coastal wind coverage:

• Your property must be inspected and certified to qualify for TWIA coverage
• Coverage limits apply — confirm they reflect your home’s current replacement cost, not what you paid for it
• TWIA premiums have increased significantly in recent years as storm activity rises
• Some private carriers are re-entering the coastal wind market — it’s worth shopping both options

Flood Is Always a Separate Policy

This is the most important point in this entire article — and it surprises homeowners every single time a major storm makes landfall:

Flood insurance is available through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) — administered through FEMA — or through a growing number of private flood insurers.

What flood insurance covers:

• Structural damage to your home caused by rising water
• HVAC systems, electrical, and plumbing
• Built-in appliances
• Personal contents (requires a separate contents coverage election)

What flood insurance does NOT cover:

• Vehicles — covered by your auto policy’s comprehensive coverage
• Temporary housing — NFIP policies don’t include additional living expenses
• Landscaping, pools, or decks
• Belongings in a basement — contents coverage has significant limitations underground

Even if you’re not in a designated high-risk flood zone, flooding can happen anywhere — especially across North Texas, where drainage systems can overwhelm quickly during heavy rain events tied to tropical moisture.

The Three-Policy Reality for Coastal Homeowners

If you own property in a coastal or storm-prone area, a complete coverage picture may require three separate policies working together:

What You’re Protecting Against	Policy Type	Availability
Fire, theft, liability, basic structure	Homeowners Insurance	Standard Policy
Hurricane wind damage, wind-driven rain	Windstorm Policy (TWIA or private)	Separate Policy — Coastal
Rising water, storm surge, flash flooding	Flood Insurance (NFIP or private)	Always Separate Policy

Understanding this structure before a loss occurs is essential. Too many homeowners discover the gaps only after they’ve filed a claim — and by then, there’s nothing an agent can do.

What You Should Do Right Now

Hurricane season is not the time to wonder what you have. Here’s a practical checklist:

• Review your current policy. Pull your declarations page and look at your wind/hail deductible. Is it a flat dollar amount or a percentage of your insured value?
• Know your flood zone. Look up your property at FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center (msc.fema.gov). Your agent can help you interpret what it means for your coverage needs.
• Confirm coastal wind coverage. If you own property in a TWIA-eligible county, verify you have active windstorm coverage and that your limits still match your rebuild cost.
• Inventory your home. Walk through your home and document your belongings with photos or video. Store it in the cloud. This documentation is invaluable at claim time.
• Call your agent. If you have a coastal property — or haven’t reviewed your coverage in the last 12 months — it’s time for a conversation before storm season peaks.

---