Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA)
Updated: Jun 5, 2020
The Texas Windstorm Insurance Association offers wind and hail insurance coverage to homeowners who have been rejected by one or more private insurers. This provides homeowners living in high risk areas with coverage that would ordinarily not be affordable. Personal property and dwelling are both protected under TWIA.
Listed below are counties that are typically high-risk areas for severe winds:
- Aransas - Jefferson
- Kenedy - Brazoria Kleberg
- Matagorda - Cameron
- Nueces - Chambers
- Refugio - Harris (east of Highway 146)
- San Patricio - Galveston
- Willacy - Calhoun
It is recommended that flood insurance be purchased with a windstorm policy, since wind and hail coverage does not provide protection against damage caused by rising waters. Floods are a big problem in coastal states like Texas, and can happen at any time. This is why mortgage companies require homeowners to purchase windstorm and/or flood insurance policies when financing. A typical windstorm policy will provide coverage for the following losses:
- Dwelling (building)
- Contents
- Increased cost of construction (ICC) - Pays for additional costs for dwelling
- Additional Living Expenses - Hotel, commute, standard living expenses
- Debris Removal - Such as fallen trees, garbage, etc.
Listed below are exclusions to windstorm policies.
- Cloth awnings
- Storm doors
- Greenhouses and metal screen enclosures
- Any buildings that are partially or wholly over water
- Vehicles, such as satellite dishes and antennas
- Vehicles, such as cars and motorcycles
- Engine-powered lawnmowers
- Boats
Some of the exclusions listed above can still be covered if certain requirements are met and is specifically requested. Just like any other insurance policy, you have to pick between receiving Actual Cash Value (ACV), and Replacement Cash Value (RCV), and decide on your deductibles, which is the amount of money that will be paid out of pocket before the insurance company pays the rest of the expenses. A simple example of a deductible would be if you were paying $200,000 for dwelling coverage on your home, and you request 1% for your deductible, the total expense out of pocket will be $2,000.
For more information, check out the TWIA website.
