Hurricane season insurance checklist for Texas

Step 1: Find out who covers wind

TDI notes that many home policies along the Gulf Coast don't cover wind and hail. In the 14 first-tier coastal counties and parts of Harris County east of Highway 146, wind coverage often comes from the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA) or a private wind policy. Inland, wind is usually part of your home policy.

Look at your declarations page for a windstorm and hail exclusion. If you see one and have no separate wind policy, you have a gap.

Step 2: Don't wait for a storm to buy TWIA coverage

TWIA cannot issue a new policy or increase coverage on an existing policy while a policy moratorium is in effect. Under its Plan of Operation, a moratorium starts when NOAA designates a storm a hurricane and it is in the Gulf or within the boundary of 80 degrees west longitude and 20 degrees north latitude. It applies to the whole TWIA area.

TWIA must receive both the application and payment before the moratorium begins. Only agents can submit applications, electronically. If storm activity is building, TWIA recommends having your agent handle the electronic payment the same day. After the moratorium lifts, the earliest a new policy can start is 12:01 a.m. that day.

Step 3: Buy flood coverage at least 30 days ahead

Home policies don't cover flood, and a new flood policy usually takes 30 days to start. FloodSmart lists the exceptions: no wait when the policy is bought in connection with getting, increasing or renewing a mortgage, or when you add coverage at renewal; a one-day wait applies in some cases after a flood map change or wildfire.

Flood coverage matters inland too, because hurricanes and tropical storms can dump heavy rain far from the coast. Check our Texas flood insurance guide for NFIP limits, how private flood fits in and what Texas sellers and landlords must disclose.

Step 4: Know your hurricane deductible in dollars

TDI's 2026 hurricane advice is to know your deductible, because wind and hail deductibles are usually different from your all-other-perils deductible. If yours is a percentage, multiply it by your dwelling limit to see the real number. If you have a TWIA policy, it has its own deductible, separate from your home policy's.

Step 5: Plan for evacuation costs

Additional living expenses (ALE) cover extra costs like a hotel and meals when your home can't be lived in because of damage your policy covers. TDI says ALE is commonly 10% to 20% of your dwelling limit. TDI says it generally doesn't pay when the house isn't damaged, for example if you leave because of a power outage.

On the coast, ALE for wind damage comes from your TWIA policy only if you have that coverage. Texas law requires TWIA dwelling policies to include loss of use coverage where it's excluded from your regular policy, but TWIA doesn't have to cover ALE for a secondary home. NFIP flood policies don't pay ALE at all, according to TDI.

Step 6: Build your insurance go-kit

TDI recommends keeping these where you can reach them if you have to leave quickly:

• Your agent's and insurer's phone numbers saved in your phone.
• Copies of every declarations page (home, wind, flood, auto), emailed to yourself.
• A home inventory: photos or video of every room, closet and drawer in the house and garage.
• Your windstorm certificate (WPI-8) if you live in the TWIA area.
• Comprehensive coverage on your cars, which pays for flood, hail and wind damage to vehicles.

After the storm passes

Wind and water damage are often handled as separate claims, sometimes by separate adjusters, so expect to document which damage came from which. File claims with every policy that may apply: wind with your home insurer or TWIA, water with your flood insurer. TWIA policies require you to file within one year of the date of damage; the commissioner can extend that by up to 180 days for good cause. Make temporary repairs only, keep receipts, and follow TDI's advice to be wary of contractors who go door to door looking for business.