If you own a home in Houston, you've probably spent some sleepless nights during hurricane season watching weather maps and wondering if your insurance will actually cover you when a big storm hits. The truth is, hurricane insurance in Houston isn't as straightforward as you might hope. Between percentage deductibles, named storm triggers, and the difference between coastal and inland coverage, it's easy to feel confused.
Here's what you need to know: Hurricane Beryl hit Houston in July 2024 as a Category 1 storm, and insurers paid out between $2.5 and $3.5 billion just in Harris, Fort Bend, and Brazoria counties. State Farm alone processed over 16,000 claims. If you're among the thousands of Houston homeowners who discovered surprise deductibles or coverage gaps during that storm, you're not alone—and now's the time to fix it before the next one.
Understanding Percentage Deductibles for Wind and Hail
Most Houston homeowners have wind and hail coverage included in their standard homeowners insurance policy. That's good news. The surprise comes when you look at your deductible. Unlike your regular $1,000 or $2,500 deductible for things like fire or theft, your wind and hail deductible is usually a percentage of your home's insured value.
In the Houston area, these percentage deductibles typically range from 2% to 5% of your dwelling coverage. Let's break down what that means in real dollars. If your home is insured for $300,000 and you have a 2% wind/hail deductible, you'll pay the first $6,000 of damage out of pocket. With a 5% deductible, that jumps to $15,000. That's a significant difference, especially if you're dealing with roof damage, broken windows, or structural issues after a major storm.
Under Texas law, your windstorm deductible applies to wind and hail damage from any type of windstorm—not just hurricanes. That means it kicks in for derechos (like the devastating May 2024 Houston windstorm that caused $5 to $7 billion in damage), severe thunderstorms, and tornadoes too. This caught many homeowners off guard during the May derecho when they discovered their percentage deductible applied even though it wasn't technically a hurricane.
Named Storm Coverage: When Does It Trigger?
Here's where it gets tricky. Some policies have a named storm deductible instead of—or in addition to—a general wind/hail deductible. A named storm deductible applies specifically when the National Weather Service or another meteorological organization officially names a storm system. Think Hurricane Beryl, Hurricane Harvey, Tropical Storm Imelda—any storm that gets a name from the alphabet.
The timing matters too. Your named storm deductible might trigger 12 hours before the National Weather Service issues a warning for any part of Texas and remain in effect until 24 hours after wind speeds drop below 74 mph. This window can span several days, which means if you experience damage during that period—even from a tornado spawned by the hurricane rather than the hurricane winds themselves—your higher percentage deductible applies.
Some Houston homeowners have both a named storm deductible and a separate wind/hail deductible. Your insurance company will apply whichever one is relevant to your specific situation. If Hurricane Beryl damages your roof, the named storm deductible applies. If an unnamed severe thunderstorm does the same damage three weeks later, your regular wind/hail deductible kicks in instead. Check your policy declarations page to see exactly which deductibles you have and when they apply—this information should be clearly stated, though it's often buried in the fine print.
Houston vs. Coastal Texas: Different Rules Apply
If you live in Houston proper or other inland areas of Harris County, you're in a better position than your neighbors closer to the coast. Most standard homeowners insurance policies in Houston include wind and hail coverage automatically. You don't need a separate windstorm policy, and you have more insurance companies competing for your business, which generally means better rates and more options.
But if you live in eastern Harris County (east of Highway 146) or closer to the coast in Galveston, Brazoria, or Chambers counties, you're in Texas's designated catastrophe area. In these 14 first-tier coastal counties and parts of Harris County, standard homeowners policies typically exclude wind and hail damage entirely. Instead, you'll need separate windstorm coverage, usually through the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA) or a specialty insurer. This isn't optional if you have a mortgage—your lender will require it.
TWIA policies typically offer 1% or 2% deductible options, which sounds better than the 2% to 5% range for inland policies. However, TWIA has specific building code requirements, and your property must be certified as meeting applicable wind-resistant construction standards. The Texas Windstorm Insurance Association received 16,000 claims after Hurricane Beryl and expects to use about half of its $450 million catastrophe fund to pay them—that's how much coastal exposure matters.
What You Should Do Right Now
First, pull out your homeowners insurance policy—yes, the whole thing, not just the summary—and look for your declarations page. This is where your deductibles are listed. You're looking for any mention of wind, hail, hurricane, named storm, or windstorm deductibles. If you see a percentage listed (like 2% or 5%), do the math using your dwelling coverage amount to figure out what you'd actually pay out of pocket.
Second, consider whether you can afford that deductible. If a $10,000 or $15,000 out-of-pocket expense would be financially devastating, talk to your insurance agent about reducing your percentage deductible. Yes, it'll cost more in premiums, but the peace of mind might be worth it. Alternatively, make sure you have adequate emergency savings specifically earmarked for potential hurricane damage.
Third, don't wait until hurricane season to make changes. You cannot purchase windstorm coverage or modify your existing policy once there's a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico. Insurance companies close their books when storms threaten, which means if you're reading this in June and thinking you'll deal with it later, later might be too late. The time to review and adjust your coverage is now, during the off-season when you're not under pressure.
Finally, remember that windstorm insurance covers wind damage, not flood damage. Hurricane Beryl's damage was primarily wind-driven, which is why private insurers paid most claims rather than the federal flood insurance program. But Houston has seen catastrophic flooding from hurricanes too—Harvey being the most obvious example. You need both windstorm coverage and a separate flood insurance policy to be fully protected. Don't assume your homeowners policy has you covered for everything a hurricane can throw at you.
