Living between Corpus Christi Bay and the Gulf means every summer comes with a forecast cone to watch. These hurricane preparedness tips for homeowners are written for houses in Corpus Christi, Flour Bluff, Portland, Ingleside, Aransas Pass, Rockport, Port Aransas and North Padre Island, where salt air, open water and Texas windstorm rules shape what "ready" really means. They are arranged in the order you would use them: a few things to handle well before June, the short list for the days when a storm is actually headed for the Coastal Bend, and what to do once it has passed.
If you are deciding whether your roof should be replaced before the season starts, that is a different job with its own timeline, and we cover it in our guide to planning a new roof before hurricane season. This page is about getting the house and family you have now through a storm.
Before the Season: Hurricane Preparedness Tips for Homeowners in Spring
On the official calendar, the Atlantic hurricane season starts June 1 and ends November 30. The quiet months before it are when the most useful work gets done, because contractors, insurance agents and hardware stores are not yet swamped.
1. Walk the roof line from the ground and the attic
You do not need to climb up. From the yard, look for shingles that are lifted, creased or missing, and for exposed nail heads along the ridge. Ridge caps, eaves and rakes deserve the closest look, because roof edges take the strongest wind uplift. In the attic on a sunny afternoon, look for pinpoints of daylight and dark rings on the decking around vents and pipe boots. Write down what you find and take photos, because those pictures double as a record of the roof's condition before any storm.
2. Check the metal parts salt air attacks
Within a few miles of the bay or the Gulf, the first parts to fail are often not the shingles. Rusted drip edge, corroded flashing at walls and chimneys, and pipe boots with cracked rubber collars let wind-driven rain in sideways. If you can see orange streaks or flaking metal, have a roofer look before June. A free inspection from a local crew will tell you whether a small repair is enough.
3. Find your windstorm certificate and read your declarations page
If your home is insured for wind through the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association, it generally needs a certificate of compliance for its roof. Locate the certificate number for the current roof and any recent repairs and keep it with your policy. Then read the declarations page for both your homeowners policy and any wind policy: check whether your wind and hail deductible is a flat dollar figure or a percentage of the dwelling amount, because it is far better to learn that in April than in September. Our Texas windstorm insurance guide explains how TWIA and the certificate fit together.
4. Buy or adjust coverage early
Timing rules are strict on the coast. TWIA will not take a new application or raise coverage after a hurricane enters a watch zone it defines by latitude and longitude, and the pause lasts until its general manager decides the threat to the Texas coast has passed. In 2024 that pause took effect for Hurricane Helene even though Helene was not forecast to reach Texas. Flood insurance has its own delay: according to FloodSmart.gov, a new National Flood Insurance Program policy usually waits 30 days to take effect, and standard homeowners policies generally do not cover flood. If you want either coverage, buy it before the season, not when a storm appears.
5. Plan where you will go, and register if you need help leaving
Barrier island and bayfront neighborhoods are typically among the first areas included when local officials call evacuations, so know your route inland, whether that is up US 77 or I-37, and where you will stay. Texans with disabilities, medical needs or limited transportation can sign up for the State of Texas Emergency Assistance Registry (STEAR) run by the Texas Division of Emergency Management, online or by dialing 2-1-1. Registration shares your information with local emergency planners; it does not promise a ride, so keep a backup plan.
When a Storm Is Headed for the Coastal Bend
Once the forecast cone covers Nueces, San Patricio, Aransas or Kleberg county, the job shifts from planning to quick, practical steps. Keep them short and leave early if you are told to.
6. Clear anything that can become a projectile
Patio chairs, grills, potted plants, trampolines and loose fence boards are common culprits when roofs and windows are punctured in a hurricane. Bring them into the garage, tie down what cannot move, and do not leave ladders lying in the yard. If you have a boat or trailer in the driveway, secure or relocate it.
7. Protect openings and the garage door
Close and lock shutters or install pre-cut plywood if you have it. A failed garage door or window lets wind pressurize the inside of the house, which pushes up on the roof from below. If your garage door has a bracing kit, install it now.
8. Make a quick "before" record
Take a short video walking around the outside of the house, including the roof as seen from the street and the yard, then the inside of every room and the attic. Save it somewhere off the phone. Pair it with a list of insurance policy numbers, your agent's contact information and your windstorm certificate number. This one step makes every claim easier later.
After the Storm Passes
9. Stay off the roof and document first
Wet decking, loose shingles and downed lines make a storm-damaged roof dangerous, so inspect from the ground. Photograph damage before anything is moved or cleaned. If water is coming in, get a tarp over any opening, or hire a roofer to do it, and keep receipts for the materials and labor. File your wind claim with TWIA or your homeowners insurer, and a flood claim if water entered the house. If the storm brings a federal disaster declaration that includes your county, our guide on FEMA help for roof damage explains how that fits in.
10. Choose a repair crew carefully, and keep the paperwork windstorm-ready
Out-of-area crews follow every Gulf storm. Before you sign, ask for a written estimate, a local address and proof of insurance. Texas law makes it illegal for a contractor to offer to waive, rebate or absorb your insurance deductible, so treat that offer as a red flag. Remember too that inside TDI's designated catastrophe area, replacing a roof or making a major repair normally calls for a windstorm inspection and certificate; only small jobs, under 100 square feet and not touching the decking, skip it. Ask any roofer how they will handle that inspection before work starts. A patch done without one can leave you without a certificate at renewal time.
A Simple Hurricane Readiness Timeline
| When | Roof and house | Paperwork and people |
|---|---|---|
| February to April | Ground and attic check; fix flashing, pipe boots, loose ridge caps | Read declarations pages; find windstorm certificate; review flood coverage |
| May | Trim limbs near the roof; check gutters and downspouts | Buy or change coverage; plan evacuation route; STEAR registration if needed |
| Storm in the forecast | Secure yard items, shutters, garage door brace | Video record of house; gather policies and certificate numbers |
| After landfall | Ground inspection, tarp leaks, keep receipts | File claims; check for a disaster declaration; vet contractors |
What the Roof Itself Can and Cannot Do
A roof that was installed to the Texas windstorm code and is still in good condition gives you the strongest starting point, but it is not a promise against a direct hit from a major hurricane. What it does is reduce the odds of the most common coastal failures: peeled edges, lost ridge caps and water forced under flashing. Age matters on the coast. In our area a 3-tab shingle roof generally gives 12 to 18 years, an architectural shingle roof 25 to 30, and an impact-resistant shingle roof upward of 30. If yours is close to the end of that range, spring is the time to talk about replacement, not the week a storm forms.
If you are weighing materials, see how metal roofs and shingles compare on coastal wind and salt.
How RISE Roofing Helps Coastal Bend Homeowners Prepare
RISE Roofing inspects roofs across Corpus Christi and the Coastal Bend for free, before the season and after a storm. You get photos and a plain description of what we found, and if work is needed, a written quote, usually in 24 to 48 hours. After a storm we document damage for your claim; we do not negotiate with adjusters, and coverage decisions belong to your insurer.
We are an Owens Corning certified installer and DECRA and Tilcor certified for stone-coated steel, and every roof we install carries a 10-year workmanship warranty. Our installs follow the windstorm code, and we schedule the TDI inspection so the job ends with a certificate of compliance. To set up a pre-season inspection, send us a request online or phone (361) 204-5325.