Hurricane Insurance and Windstorm Insurance
No Single "Hurricane Insurance" Product
Hurricane insurance in Texas does not exist as a single product that you can purchase, but you can use a combination of flood and homeowners' insurance to protect your house from hurricane damage. If hail or wind from a tornado, thunderstorm, or hurricane damages your home, windstorm insurance will cover the cost of repairs or rebuilding. It is sometimes referred to as hurricane insurance.
What Windstorm Insurance Covers
Windstorm insurance generally covers direct damage to your home and property caused by wind or hail, and may also provide loss-of-use coverage to help cover expenses if you can't live in your home due to wind or hail damage. TWIA insurance exclusively helps with costs related to damage from wind, hail, and some hurricanes, but floods and storm surges would fall under your flood insurance policy.
Geographic Coverage Differences
With the exception of coastal areas, Texas homeowners' insurance includes windstorm coverage, which is typically subject to a separate deductible. However, homeowners insurance does not cover flood damage caused by storm surges, flash flooding, or other types of overland flooding. If you live near the coast, your homeowners insurance will most likely not cover wind and hail damage, so you will need to purchase a separate windstorm policy.
Hurricane Insurance is a Combination
Hurricane insurance typically refers to a combination of wind and flood coverage. Flood damage, even when caused by a hurricane, is not included in standard windstorm insurance. Homeowners insurance, windstorm insurance, and flood insurance combine to create comprehensive hurricane insurance in Texas.
Cost and Deductibles
Windstorm insurance in Texas costs between $1,600 and $2,400 annually, with TWIA policies averaging $2,387 per year. Windstorm policies typically have percentage-based deductibles of 1-5% of dwelling coverage. On a $300,000 home, you'd need to pay a $3,000 to $15,000 deductible before your insurance would cover hurricane-related wind damage.
While windstorm insurance and hurricane insurance are often used interchangeably, true hurricane protection requires multiple policies: windstorm coverage for wind damage and a separate flood policy for water damage—because hurricanes cause both types of destruction.
