When is the 2023 hurricane season in Texas?

The Texas hurricane season is most active mid-summer through late fall. August is the most likely month for landfall hurricanes in the Lone Star State.

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Pat HowardPat HowardManaging Editor & Licensed Home Insurance ExpertPat Howard is a managing editor and licensed home insurance expert at Policygenius, where he specializes in homeowners insurance. His work and expertise has been featured in MarketWatch, Real Simple, Fox Business, VentureBeat, This Old House, Investopedia, Fatherly, Lifehacker, Better Homes & Garden, Property Casualty 360, and elsewhere.&Kara McGinleyKara McGinleySenior Editor & Licensed Home Insurance ExpertKara McGinley is a former senior editor and licensed home insurance expert at Policygenius, where she specialized in homeowners and renters insurance. As a journalist and as an insurance expert, her work and insights have been featured in Forbes Advisor, Kiplinger, Lifehacker, MSN, WRAL.com, and elsewhere.

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Michael Reynolds, CSRIC®, AIF®, CFT-I™Michael Reynolds, CSRIC®, AIF®, CFT-I™Financial AdvisorMichael Reynolds, CSRIC®, AIF®, CFT-I™, is a financial advisor, principal and founder of Elevation Financial, host of the weekly personal finance podcast Wealth Redefined®, and a member of the Financial Review Council at Policygenius.

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The Atlantic hurricane season is June 1 to November 30 every year, with peak tropical storm activity occurring from August through mid-September. During hurricane season, Texas is among the handful of states most impacted by tropical storms. In fact, of the 301 hurricanes that have made landfall in the U.S. since 1851, 64 have hit the Lone Star State — only the state of Florida has experienced more hurricanes. 

About once every six years, Texas residents can expect a landfall hurricane along any fifty mile segment of coast. [1] Considering that more than 300 miles of Texas are on the Gulf Coast, coastal residents should make sure they’re well prepared for hurricane season.

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What month does Texas have the most hurricanes?

While hurricanes can happen at any point between early summer and late fall, August is the most likely time for a hurricane to strike Texas. [2] That said, September is also a likely time for frequent tropical storms in Texas. For example, Tropical Storm Nicolas hit Texan towns on the Gulf Coast in September of 2021. The storm resulted in over 9 inches of rainfall and left around 500,000 residents without electricity for days. [3]  

Going into the 2023 hurricane season, Tropical Storm Risk (TSR) — one of the industry’s watched hurricane forecasting teams — is predicting a season that's 15% below the 30-year norm. [4]  

Here is TSR's forecast for the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season:

  • Around 13 named storms 

  • Around 6 of those could become hurricanes (wind speeds of 74 mph or higher)

  • Around 3 major hurricanes — Category 3, 4, or 5 (wind speeds of 111 mph or higher)

Where do hurricanes hit the most in Texas?

From border cities like Brownsville to northern hubs like Port Arthur, any area along the Texas coast is vulnerable to hurricanes. But the cities of Galveston and Houston have experienced by far the most severe hurricane damage of any Texas city over the last century. 

In fact, The Great Galveston Hurricane of 1900 remains the deadliest natural disaster in U.S. history. Between 6,000 to 12,000 people are estimated to have died, according to the NOAA. [5] Galveston was hit by another devastating hurricane just 15 years later, this one killing close to 300 people. [6]

Hurricane Harvey in 2017 — the latest storm to make landfall in Galveston — is one of the most expensive natural disasters in U.S. history, causing billions in damage to the Galveston and Greater Houston area. [7]

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How to prepare for hurricane season in Texas

If you’re a resident of coastal Texas, be sure to prepare yourself and your family for an impending hurricane. Hurricanes often mean severe winds and flooding, so you’ll want to make sure your house is prepared and you have the right insurance coverage in place to pay for extensive property damage. 

Before the storm 

  • Put together an emergency supply kit

  • Have a communication plan with your family

  • Sign up for community or country emergency storm alerts

  • Know your home’s flood risk 

  • Purchase flood insurance. Since homeowners insurance doesn’t cover flooding, you’ll need flood insurance to cover hurricane-related flooding

  • Plan an evacuation route

  • Store important documents in a waterproof container; create digital copies

During the storm

  • Follow weather alerts

  • Stay clear of areas impacted by hurricane winds or flooding

  • Dial 2-1-1 for shelter, food, and disaster services

  • Find an open shelter through the Red Cross

  • Visit Drive Texas to check the status of road conditions during a flood

After the storm

  • Be sure to listen to local officials for information about when it’s safe to return and special instructions

  • If you’re attempting to clean up your residence, wear protective clothing, including gloves and face coverings while you clean up mold or other debris.

  • If there is wind or water damage to your home, contact your home or flood insurance provider to file a claim.

  • Document any property damage with video or photographs

For more information about hurricane and tornado season in Texas and how to plan for the next disaster, check out Texas Ready.

→ Take a deeper dive into how to prepare for a hurricane: 9 things to do TODAY

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Insurance considerations for hurricane season in Texas

Home insurance typically covers wind damage from hurricanes, but in certain coastal communities of Texas you may find that this coverage is excluded from your homeowners policy. 

Here are some coverage considerations and things you should keep in mind for hurricane season in Texas. 

You might need windstorm insurance

If you live in a high risk area of Texas, you may find that wind and hail damage is excluded from your homeowners policy. If that’s the case, you’ll need to purchase separate windstorm insurance. You can do this through special wind-only insurers or the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA), a not-for-profit entity set up by the state government.

→ Read our guide on windstorm insurance in Texas

Consider purchasing flood insurance

Homeowners insurance never covers flood damage. In order to be covered by water damage from flooding, you’ll need to purchase flood insurance. You can do this through private insurers or through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), a FEMA-backed program.

References

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Policygenius uses external sources, including government data, industry studies, and reputable news organizations to supplement proprietary marketplace data and internal expertise. Learn more about how we use and vet external sources as part of oureditorial standards.

  1. National Weather Service

    . "

    Texas Hurricane History

    ." Accessed September 09, 2021.

  2. National Weather Service

    . "

    Texas Hurricane History

    ." Accessed September 09, 2021.

  3. Texas Tribune

    . "

    Texas sees limited damage in wake of Tropical Storm Nicholas as storm weakens and takes aim at Louisiana

    ." Accessed June 03, 2022.

  4. Tropical Storm Risk

    . "

    Extended Range Forecast for North Atlantic Hurricane Activity in 2023

    ." Accessed December 22, 2022.

  5. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

    . "

    Galveston Storm of 1900

    ." Accessed September 09, 2021.

  6. National Weather Service

    . "

    The 1943 "Surprise" Hurricane

    ." Accessed September 09, 2021.

  7. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

    . "

    Hurricane Harvey

    ." Accessed September 09, 2021.

Authors

Pat Howard is a managing editor and licensed home insurance expert at Policygenius, where he specializes in homeowners insurance. His work and expertise has been featured in MarketWatch, Real Simple, Fox Business, VentureBeat, This Old House, Investopedia, Fatherly, Lifehacker, Better Homes & Garden, Property Casualty 360, and elsewhere.

Kara McGinley is a former senior editor and licensed home insurance expert at Policygenius, where she specialized in homeowners and renters insurance. As a journalist and as an insurance expert, her work and insights have been featured in Forbes Advisor, Kiplinger, Lifehacker, MSN, WRAL.com, and elsewhere.

Expert reviewer

Michael Reynolds, CSRIC®, AIF®, CFT-I™, is a financial advisor, principal and founder of Elevation Financial, host of the weekly personal finance podcast Wealth Redefined®, and a member of the Financial Review Council at Policygenius.

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