National Association of Real Estate Editors member
Bylines include Forbes, Bankrate, and CBS News
Aly is a reporter specializing in real estate, mortgages, and personal finance. You can find her work in Hearst newspapers and numerous financial publications.
7+ years in business and financial services content
Chris is a seasoned writer/editor with past experience across myriad industries, including insurance, SAS, finance, Medicare, logistics, marketing/advertising, and many more.
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If you’re in an area with a high risk of hurricanes, like Texas, you might want to assess your insurance situation.
A total of 66 hurricanes have hit Texas since the 1850s, per the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and FEMA shows nearly the entirety of Texas’ Gulf Coast is currently at relatively moderate, relatively high, or very high risk of being affected by a hurricane.[1][2]
Hurricane Harvey, one of the most recent to hit the state, resulted in $125 billion in damages.[3]
Fortunately, having homeowners insurance can help if your home receives damage from a hurricane. You may also need to add flood insurance, as most standard policies won’t cover these events.
Here’s what you need to know about hurricane insurance, its costs, and how to get it.
Quick Facts
Standard home insurance covers some damage from hurricanes but not flood damage.
If you have a mortgage, your lender will require you to carry home insurance and flood insurance if you live in a high-risk flood zone.
Home insurance in Texas costs $3,832 per year for $300,000 in dwelling coverage, on average.
Do you need hurricane insurance in Texas?
Texas homeowners — particularly those in coastal areas — are at high risk of suffering hurricane damage. Standard home insurance policies typically cover the damage caused by high winds in a hurricane, but flood damage is another story.
Flood insurance is specifically designed to cover damages from storm surge and floodwater. This coverage could be very important, as FEMA reports that just one inch of floodwater can cause up to $25,000 in damages.[4]
If you have a mortgage on your property, your lender will require you to have flood insurance if you’re in a designated flood zone — somewhere there’s at least a 1% chance of being flooded in any given year.
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How to determine your flood risk
You can evaluate your home’s flood risk by looking at FEMA’s flood maps. These maps categorize areas into various zones, including zones V, VE, A, AE, AH, AO, AR, and A99 (high risk), zones B and shaded X (moderate risk), zones C and unshaded X (low risk of flooding), and zone D (unknown risk).
For more information or guidance on Texas flood risks, visit TexasFlood.org. The website operates in partnership with the Texas Water Development Board, the Texas Division of Emergency Management, and the Texas General Land Office.
Texas hurricane insurance cost
Separate hurricane insurance doesn’t exist, but standard home insurance policies cover the damage hurricane winds cause. The Insurance Information Institute recommends that homeowners have enough coverage to fully rebuild their homes if needed.
The typical Texas homeowner pays about $3,832 per year for $300,000 in dwelling coverage, according to Insurify data. Your exact costs will depend on local labor and construction costs, your home’s size, your deductibles, and more.
Flood insurance adds a separate premium to the mix. The National Flood Insurance Program shows that the median cost for flood insurance in Texas is $779 per year.[5]
Hurricane deductibles in Texas
Since Texas is at high risk of hurricanes, home insurance policies generally have a hurricane deductible. This is a separate deductible you’ll pay if your home suffers hurricane damage. A separate deductible may also exist for windstorm coverage.
This is usually a percentage of the total insured value of your home — somewhere from 1%–5%. So, on a $300,000 home, you’d need to pay a $3,000 to $15,000 deductible before your insurance would kick in and cover hurricane-related wind damage to your property. You can expect your hurricane deductible to be higher if you’re in an area at high risk of hurricane damage.
What Texas hurricane insurance covers
It’s important to understand exactly what your home insurance covers if you live in a hurricane-prone area. Standard Texas home insurance policies cover damage from fire, lightning, windstorm, hail, explosion, riot, civil commotion, aircraft, vehicle, smoke, vandalism, theft, and volcanic eruption.
What Texas hurricane insurance doesn’t cover
Your standard home insurance policy will cover windstorm damage (after you pay the separate deductible), but it won’t cover damage caused by hurricane-related flooding. It also won’t cover sewer backups in many cases, and this is another potential risk in hurricane-prone areas.
Standard home insurance policies also won’t cover:
Flooding
Storm surge
Earthquake
Damage due to poor maintenance
Mold
Pest infestation
Sewer backup
Important Information
To ensure you have proper coverage for all possible hurricane damage, you’ll need a separate flood insurance policy to protect against damage from floodwater. Adding sewer backup coverage could be a smart choice too.
Where to get hurricane insurance in Texas
You can get coverage for hurricane-related wind damage with a standard home insurance policy, which you can get through most major insurance companies. For flood coverage, you can look to the National Flood Insurance Program, if your area participates, or to a private insurer.
The federal government sets the premiums on NFIP policies and keeps them standardized, so there’s no need to shop around. You’ll purchase these policies from a private insurance company and can get up to $250,000 in insurance coverage for your property and $100,000 for the personal belongings and contents within it. Not all communities participate in the program, and there’s a 30-day waiting period before coverage kicks in.
You can also get private flood insurance policies. These tend to offer more coverage and flexibility, as the government doesn’t standardize them.
If a hurricane damages your home, you can file an insurance claim to help cover the costs of repairs or replacing the affected items. To do this, you’ll need to:
1. Call your insurance agent as soon as possible
Some companies will allow you to start the claims process online or through a mobile app.
2. Provide details about the event and damage
Including photos can help, too.
3. Wait for an insurance adjuster to assess the damage
You may want to be there to direct them when they arrive.
4. Await payment
This may come by mailed check, or your insurer may deposit it directly into your bank account.
5. Complete repairs
Once you have the cash in hand, you can make the appropriate repairs.
Texas hurricane insurance FAQs
Hurricane insurance can be a complex topic. Use the following answers to frequently asked questions to learn more.
How much does hurricane insurance cost in Texas?
A standard home insurance policy covers wind damage from hurricanes but not flooding. You’ll pay about $3,832 per year for $300,000 in coverage. Flood insurance will generally cost you just under $800 per year.
Is hurricane insurance mandatory in Texas?
There’s no specific hurricane insurance, but if you have a mortgage, your lender will require you to have a standard home insurance policy. Depending on your home’s flood risk, your lender may also require you to carry flood insurance.
Is it worth getting hurricane insurance in Texas?
Texas is particularly prone to hurricanes, especially along the Gulf Coast. Having the proper insurance can save you significantly if one affects your home.
Is hurricane insurance the same as windstorm insurance?
Standard insurance policies cover windstorms, which includes hurricanes. They don’t cover flooding from hurricanes, though. This requires a separate policy specifically for floods.
FEMA. "Cost of Flood Insurance for Single-Family Homes under NFIP’s Pricing Approach."
Aly J. Yale
Aly J. Yale is a freelance writer and reporter covering real estate, mortgages, and personal finance. Her work has been published in Forbes, Business Insider, Money, CBS News, US News & World Report, and The Miami Herald. She has a bachelor’s degree in radio-TV-film and news-editorial journalism from the Bob Schieffer College of Communication at TCU and is a member of the National Association of Real Estate Editors.
7+ years in business and financial services content
Chris is a seasoned writer/editor with past experience across myriad industries, including insurance, SAS, finance, Medicare, logistics, marketing/advertising, and many more.
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