Key Takeaway
Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 - November 30 every year (NOAA National Hurricane Center). The five things every Texas or Florida homeowner should do before June 1:
- (1) Photograph and video every room, every elevation, every roof slope, and every piece of personal property over $250 - and back the files up off-site.
- (2) Pull a current copy of your policy, your wind/hurricane deductible, and your declarations page.
- (3) Confirm flood coverage. If you do not have it, buy it today - the NFIP 30-day waiting period means buying after a named storm has already formed almost always comes too late.
- (4) Stage emergency supplies, tarps, and a written evacuation plan.
- (5) Save the number of a licensed public adjuster you trust before you need one. Our 24/7 storm line is 833-4UR-LOSS (833-487-5677).
Hurricane Season 2026 Opens Monday, June 1. Here Is the Direct Answer.
Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 through November 30 every year. The 2026 season opens Monday, June 1. If you own property along the Texas Gulf Coast or anywhere in Florida, the single highest-value thing you can do this week is build a dated, time-stamped photographic record of your home and your contents before the first named storm of the season forms.
What you cannot prove existed before the wind, you cannot collect for after. Many policies measure the loss against the condition of your property just before the storm, so a record of that condition matters more than generic depreciation tables. A complete pre-loss inventory is the single best evidentiary tool a homeowner can build, and it costs nothing but an afternoon.
This guide is the exact one-week pre-storm plan we walk every coastal client through. None of this is legal advice. All of it is the same checklist we wish every policyholder had completed before the first claim file lands on our desk.
Step 1 - Pre-Storm: Document the Home Before the Wind Arrives
A pre-loss inventory is the most powerful tool an ordinary homeowner can hand a public adjuster, an appraiser, or - in a worst case - their lawyer. It changes the burden of proof. Without it, you are arguing your roof was not already damaged. With it, you are simply pointing to time-stamped, geo-tagged photos.
Exterior - every elevation and every roof slope. Walk around the house and take wide shots of all four sides. Use a smartphone or a drone to photograph every roof slope, ridge, valley, and penetration (vents, chimneys, skylights). Photograph fences, sheds, detached garages, pool cages, and outdoor kitchens. Photograph the HVAC condenser, pool equipment, and any exterior generators.
Interior - every room, every wall, every ceiling. Walk into each room, pan slowly across all four walls and the ceiling on video, then take wide stills. Open every closet, every cabinet, and every drawer. Photograph the inside of the attic (insulation, decking, trusses) and the inside of the garage.
Furnishings and personal property - photographed in their actual pre-storm condition. Walk through each room and photograph sofas, beds, dressers, dining sets, area rugs, drapery, lamps, and stored items. Show condition clearly - no rips, no stains, no existing wear that the carrier could later argue was already there. For high-value items (jewelry, firearms, art, tools, musical instruments, watches, wine, coin or art collections), photograph the item, the serial-number plate or maker's mark, and any receipts or appraisals you have on file.
Electronics and appliances - power them on and capture them working. This is the single most overlooked step in a pre-loss inventory, and it is the one that wins the most arguments after a storm. Photograph every TV with a picture on the screen. Power up monitors, soundbars, gaming consoles, desktop and laptop computers, smart-home hubs, security systems, audio equipment, and home theaters - capture each one lit and functioning. Run appliances briefly so the documentation shows them working: refrigerator interior light on, microwave display lit, dishwasher and washer/dryer mid-cycle, oven displaying temperature, HVAC thermostat lit and the unit running. A photograph of a powered-on, working device is what defeats the carrier's default position that the unit was already broken, already obsolete, or already past its useful life. Include the serial-number plate in the same frame when you can.
Documents - the boring but critical layer. Photograph or scan: your declarations page, your full policy form, your endorsements, your most recent renewal notice, your mortgage statement, your driver's license, vehicle titles, and any home-improvement receipts (new roof, new HVAC, kitchen remodel, impact windows). These prove condition, age, and replacement value.
Back it up off-site. A photo inventory stored only on a phone that floats away in a storm surge is no inventory at all. Sync the photos to a cloud account (iCloud, Google Photos, Dropbox) and email a copy to a relative outside the storm zone. Keep a USB backup at a non-coastal address if you can.
Pro Tip
Use your phone's built-in video walk-through feature in addition to stills. Narrate as you walk: "This is the master bathroom, the vanity is granite, the fixtures are Kohler, installed in 2022." A 10-minute narrated walk-through is one of the most evidentially powerful records a homeowner can create, and it takes one afternoon.
Step 2 - Pull Your Policy: Hurricane Deductible, ACV Roof Endorsement, Cosmetic Exclusion, and the Coverage Details That Drive the Settlement
Most Texas and Florida homeowners have never read their policy. You should not be opening it for the first time in the dark, with a tarp on the roof and the power out. Pull it this week.
Find the declarations page. The "dec page" is the one- to two-page summary at the front of your policy that lists your coverage limits and deductibles. Confirm Coverage A (dwelling), Coverage B (other structures), Coverage C (personal property), Coverage D (loss of use / ALE), and your deductibles.
Find your hurricane or named-storm deductible - it is separate. Most coastal policies in Texas and Florida have a separate, percentage-based wind, hurricane, or named-storm deductible that only applies when a named storm causes the damage. These are typically 1%, 2%, 3%, 5%, or even 10% of Coverage A (your dwelling limit). On a $500,000 dwelling, a 5% hurricane deductible is $25,000 out of pocket before the carrier pays a dollar. Know your number before the storm.
Confirm your loss-settlement basis - RCV vs. ACV. Most policies are written either at Replacement Cost Value (RCV) - the cost to replace damaged property with new property of like kind and quality - or at Actual Cash Value (ACV) - replacement cost minus depreciation for age and condition. Confirm which applies to the dwelling and which applies to contents. The difference on a hurricane claim can run into five and six figures.
Watch for an ACV roof endorsement - the quiet contract change carriers have been adding at renewal. Many Texas and Florida carriers have added a separate endorsement over the last few renewal cycles that pays only Actual Cash Value on the roof surfacing, even when the rest of the policy is written at RCV. The endorsement is usually titled something like "Actual Cash Value Loss Settlement - Windstorm or Hail Loss to Roof," "Roof Coverage - ACV," or a "Roof Payment Schedule." Under an ACV-roof endorsement on a 15-year-old composition roof, a $30,000 RCV replacement can settle for under $10,000 - the rest is depreciation the carrier keeps. If this endorsement is on your declarations page or in a recent renewal letter, call your agent this week. Ask whether you can buy back full RCV roof coverage and what it costs - the buyback is often a small premium increase for a very large coverage gain heading into the season.
Watch for a cosmetic damage exclusion - especially on metal roofs and metal siding. A cosmetic exclusion lets the carrier deny payment for hail-dented metal roof panels, metal siding, gutters, downspouts, vents, and AC condenser fins on the theory that the damage is "only cosmetic" and does not impair function. The carrier defines "cosmetic" expansively. Once invoked, the exclusion can knock tens of thousands of dollars off a legitimate hail claim. If you have any metal roofing or metal exterior surfaces and your policy contains a cosmetic exclusion, talk to your agent this week about whether it can be removed by endorsement. Background on how this plays out in practice is in our companion post Cosmetic Damage Exclusions and Hail Claim Denials in Texas.
Other endorsements to check this week.
- Ordinance or Law (code upgrade) coverage - confirm the limit (commonly 10-25% of dwelling) and whether it is included or optional. On a partial-loss rebuild, code upgrades alone can run into five figures.
- Matching of materials - controls whether the policy pays for replacing undamaged adjacent siding, shingles, or tile when only part of the surface is damaged. Some endorsements restrict matching to "the same continuous slope" or "the same room" - which can leave you with a checkerboarded roof or two-tone siding the carrier refuses to fix.
- Mold and fungi sublimit - many policies cap mold and microbial remediation at $10,000 or $25,000 regardless of the actual remediation cost. A wet hurricane creates real mold exposure - know your cap and whether a higher limit can be purchased.
- Loss assessment (HOA / condo) - if you live in a community with shared structures, confirm the loss-assessment limit and whether it covers hurricane special assessments levied by your association after the storm.
- Mandatory mitigation requirements - some Texas and Florida carriers now condition renewal or full coverage on installing impact windows, hurricane shutters, roof tie-down straps, or secondary water resistance. Confirm you are in compliance with any mitigation requirement before the storm forms - a carrier may try to reduce or deny payment if you are out of compliance at the time of loss.
Confirm what is excluded. Standard homeowner policies in Texas and Florida exclude flood, exclude long-term seepage, and in many coastal areas exclude wind. Wind in designated Texas coastal counties is often written through the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA) rather than a private carrier. In Florida, many coastal homes are written through Citizens Property Insurance. If you do not know which policy covers wind on your home, find out this week.
Step 3 - Confirm Flood Coverage. The NFIP 30-Day Waiting Period Is Why You Buy Now.
Flood is not covered by a standard homeowner policy. Hurricane storm surge - the wall of water a hurricane pushes inland - is treated as flood damage, not wind damage. If you do not have a separate flood policy, surge damage is not covered.
Flood coverage is available through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and private flood insurers. New NFIP flood coverage usually starts after a 30-day waiting period. Exceptions include certain mortgage transactions and other qualifying circumstances. Confirm the effective date with your agent and buy coverage well before a storm. Private flood insurers set their own waiting periods.
The NFIP waiting period has several exceptions, including certain mortgage transactions, qualifying map changes, renewal changes, and qualifying post-wildfire flooding. Confirm whether an exception applies and the policy's actual effective date; the naming of a storm does not itself determine NFIP coverage.
If you live in or near a flood zone - and after the last decade, "near" should be read generously - call your agent this week. Confirm whether your flood policy is in force, what the limits are, and whether contents coverage is included (it is usually optional, and is usually worth carrying).
Pro Tip
Your home does not need to be in a FEMA-designated high-risk flood zone to flood. Per FEMA, more than 25% of NFIP flood claims come from properties outside high-risk flood zones. If your home is anywhere within 50 miles of the Gulf or the Atlantic, the question is not whether to consider flood coverage - it is whether you are comfortable being uninsured for it.
Step 4 - Stage Supplies, Tarps, and a Written Evacuation Plan
A hurricane is not the time to learn what your family's evacuation plan is. Spend an hour this weekend writing one down.
Supplies (72-hour minimum, per person). One gallon of water per person per day. Non-perishable food. A first aid kit. Prescription medications (two weeks). Flashlights, batteries, a battery or hand-crank radio. Cash in small bills. Phone chargers and a portable battery bank. Important documents in a sealed waterproof bag.
Tarps, plywood, and basic tools. Buy them now while they are in stock. Two heavy-duty 20x30 foot tarps, a box of roofing nails or 1x4 furring strips, a hammer, a tape measure, work gloves, and a battery-powered drill. After a storm, tarp supply is the first thing to disappear within a 200-mile radius of the landfall point.
Evacuation plan in writing. Where do you go? Which route? Who do you tell? Do you take pets? Where is the boarding option for pets? Where are the meds, the dec page, the photo inventory backup, the cash, and the car keys? Write it down. Tape a printed copy inside a kitchen cabinet. Text a copy to family.
Know your local emergency channels. Sign up for county and city emergency alerts now. In Florida, FloridaDisaster.org is the state portal. In Texas, the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) coordinates state-level response. The National Hurricane Center at NOAA is the authoritative source for active storm tracking.
Step 5 - Save Dependable Claims Specialists' Storm Line (833-4UR-LOSS) Before You Need It
After a hurricane, two things happen within hours: the power goes out, and door-knockers start arriving. Some are legitimate contractors. Some are not. The pressure to sign something - an Assignment of Benefits, a "Direction to Pay," a contingent contract with a roofer - is intense, and policyholders make decisions under stress that they regret for years.
The single best defense is having a trusted, state-licensed public adjuster's number already saved in your phone before the storm hits. When the door-knockers arrive, you have someone to call before you sign anything. The 15-minute call is free. There is never a charge to talk.
What a public adjuster actually does. A public adjuster is a state-licensed insurance professional who works exclusively for the policyholder. We inspect the property, read the policy, write the line-item Xactimate estimate, file the claim, and negotiate the settlement on your behalf. We are paid only out of the recovery - no recovery, no fee. In Texas, public adjuster fees are capped by statute at 10% of the settlement (Texas Insurance Code Chapter 4102). For Florida homeowner and condo unit-owner policies, fee limits are generally 10% for claims about a Governor-declared emergency made during the year after the declaration, and 20% for other claims. Lower limits and other restrictions can apply. For Florida commercial claims, check the fee terms in the written agreement and under Florida law.
What a public adjuster is not. A public adjuster is not a contractor. We do not perform repairs. We do not take Assignments of Benefits. We do not sell roofs. Our entire job is policy interpretation, scope documentation, and settlement negotiation - the same job the carrier's adjuster does, but for you.
Save our 24/7 storm line now. Dependable Claims Specialists - Public Insurance Adjusters: 833-4UR-LOSS (833-487-5677). Add it to your phone today. You may never need it. If you do, you will not be searching for a name in the dark while a contractor stands at your door with a contract.
Pro Tip
In Texas and Florida, contractors and roofers cannot legally negotiate an insurance claim on your behalf. Doing so is the Unauthorized Practice of Public Adjusting (UPPA), which carries criminal penalties under state law. Only a licensed public adjuster or a licensed attorney can negotiate claim coverage and settlement. If a contractor offers to "handle the insurance" for you, that is a red flag - not a service.
During the Approach: What to Do in the Final 72 Hours Before Landfall
If a named storm has already formed and is forecast to affect your area in the next three days, the photo-inventory window is closing. Do as much as you can, as fast as you can.
72 hours out. Top off vehicles with fuel. Withdraw cash. Refill prescriptions. Update the photo inventory on the parts of the house you have not covered. Confirm your evacuation route and your destination. Charge every battery in the house.
48 hours out. Bring in or tie down outdoor furniture, grills, planters, and anything that can become wind-borne debris. Photograph everything one more time. Move valuables and irreplaceable documents to interior closets or off-site storage. Park vehicles in a garage if you have one.
24 hours out. Shutter or board windows. Photograph the boarded condition. Turn refrigerator and freezer to coldest setting. Fill bathtubs and large containers with water (for sanitation, not drinking unless you treat it). Charge devices one final time.
If you are evacuating. Take the photo inventory backup, the policy declarations page, prescription meds, two weeks of cash, your phone chargers, and your pets. Lock the house. Document the locked, prepared condition with a final video walk-through before you leave.
Post-Storm: Document the Damage Before Cleanup Removes the Evidence
Once authorities allow re-entry, the first 72 hours shape the entire claim. Mirror the pre-storm inventory. The same room-by-room, elevation-by-elevation discipline you used before the storm is exactly what you do after - except now you are documenting damage, not condition. A side-by-side before-and-after photo set is the single most powerful piece of evidence in a hurricane claim file. The detailed post-storm walkthrough is in our companion post What to Do Immediately After a Hurricane Damages Your Home.
People first, then safety. Medical needs, family check-ins, shelter, food, sleep. Do not enter the home until authorities clear re-entry. Watch for downed power lines, gas leaks, structural collapse, and standing water that may be electrified. Wear closed-toe boots, gloves, and an N95 mask for drywall dust and mold spores. Photograph hazards from outside before approaching.
Post-storm exterior - every elevation, every roof slope, every debris field. Walk the perimeter and photograph all four sides before any cleanup begins. Capture the roof from a ladder or drone if safe to do so (every slope, every missing shingle, every exposed deck). Photograph wind-borne debris exactly where it landed. Photograph fences, sheds, detached structures, pool cages, screen enclosures, and outdoor equipment in their damaged condition. Photograph downed trees, broken windows, and torn awnings before any tarp or board-up goes on.
Post-storm interior - every room, every wall, every ceiling. Pan slowly on video, then take wide stills. Document water staining on walls and ceilings, ceiling collapse, saturated drywall, warped flooring, mold growth, and damaged contents in place. Open closets and cabinets - photograph wet contents before removing them. Photograph the attic and the inside of the garage.
Post-storm personal property - damaged items in place, then removed. Photograph each damaged item where it sits before you move it. Capture serial-number plates and any visible model markings. Build a damaged-property log: item, original cost, condition before storm, damage description. Match damaged items to your pre-loss photo set wherever possible - the change between those two states is what the claim documents.
Preserve evidence safely. Photograph and inventory damaged items before disposal when safe. Promptly discard spoiled food and contaminated items that pose a health risk, following local disposal requirements. Keep safe samples and disposal receipts where practical, and tell the insurer why emergency removal was necessary. Do not retain hazardous materials or delay necessary cleanup while waiting for an inspection.
Report the loss to the carrier - factually. Give your policy number, the date of loss, and a factual description. Do not speculate on causation. Request the claim number, the assigned adjuster's name, and the inspection date in writing. Request an Additional Living Expense (ALE) advance the same day if the home is uninhabitable - most carriers will issue one within days when properly requested.
Make necessary safety and mitigation repairs promptly, and save receipts. Document damage before, during, and after the work when safe. Give the insurer a reasonable opportunity to inspect before permanent repairs where practical, and coordinate the repair scope and reimbursement requirements. Do not assume you must wait for final settlement to begin repairs.
Do not sign an Assignment of Benefits. Door-knocking contractors arrive within hours. Some are legitimate; some are not. Before signing an assignment or direction to pay, read its actual terms and ask a licensed attorney whether it transfers rights in the claim. In Texas and Florida, only a licensed public adjuster or a licensed attorney can lawfully negotiate the claim on your behalf - a contractor cannot. Slow down. Call us first.
Call a public adjuster before the carrier's adjuster arrives. A public adjuster attends the inspection, documents damage the carrier adjuster may miss, captures measurements with calibrated tools, and makes sure the scope leaving your property reflects what the storm actually did.
Pro Tip
Take the post-storm photos before emergency repairs, then during, then after. A tarp goes over a missing section of roof in three photos: the open hole, the tarp installation, and the finished tarped roof. This three-step photo set is what a public adjuster needs to negotiate full payment for both the permanent roof and the emergency-repair line items.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does Atlantic hurricane season officially start and end?
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30 every year, as defined by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Hurricane Center. Peak activity is typically mid-August through late October, but named storms can and do form earlier and later. NOAA's Climate Prediction Center issues its seasonal outlook each May.
Does my homeowner policy cover hurricane damage?
It depends on three policies, not one. Wind damage is usually covered by your homeowner policy - but in designated Texas coastal counties, wind is often excluded and must be covered separately through the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA). Many Florida coastal homes carry wind through Citizens Property Insurance. Flood damage, including hurricane storm surge, is never covered by a standard homeowner policy and must be carried separately through the NFIP or a private flood carrier. Pull all three dec pages this week so you know exactly what is in force.
What is a hurricane deductible and how is it different from my regular deductible?
Most homeowner policies in Texas and Florida have a separate hurricane, named-storm, or wind deductible that only applies when damage is caused by a named tropical storm or hurricane. Unlike a flat-dollar deductible (e.g., $1,000), the hurricane deductible is usually a percentage of your Coverage A dwelling limit - commonly 1%, 2%, 3%, 5%, or 10%. On a $500,000 dwelling, a 5% hurricane deductible is $25,000 out of pocket before the carrier pays anything. Find this number on your declarations page this week.
Is it too late to buy flood insurance before the season starts?
New NFIP flood coverage usually starts after a 30-day waiting period. Exceptions include certain mortgage transactions and other qualifying circumstances. Confirm the effective date with your agent and buy coverage well before a storm. Private flood insurers set their own waiting periods.
Should I really take photos of my whole house before a storm?
Yes. A complete, dated, time-stamped photo inventory is the single most powerful evidentiary tool an ordinary homeowner can build, and it costs nothing but an afternoon. Insurance carriers routinely depreciate roofs, flooring, and personal property based on generic age tables. A pre-loss photo record proves the actual condition of your home and contents the moment before the loss, which is the measure many policies use to value the loss. Without it, you are arguing condition from memory. With it, you are pointing at the file.
Should I save a public adjuster's number in my phone before a storm?
Yes. After a hurricane, door-knocking contractors arrive within hours, and the pressure to sign an Assignment of Benefits or a contingent roofing contract is intense. Having a licensed public adjuster's number already saved in your phone means you have someone to call before you sign anything. There is no charge to talk. Our 24/7 storm line is 833-4UR-LOSS (833-487-5677). Save it today.
Can my contractor handle the hurricane claim for me?
No. In both Texas and Florida, it is the Unauthorized Practice of Public Adjusting (UPPA) for a roofer, contractor, or restoration company to negotiate an insurance claim on a policyholder's behalf. UPPA carries criminal penalties under state law (Tex. Ins. Code Chapter 4102; Fla. Stat. 626.8738). Only a licensed public adjuster or a licensed attorney can negotiate claim coverage and settlement. A contractor can write an estimate and discuss their own scope with the carrier - but they cannot lawfully act as your representative in the claim.
What is an ACV roof endorsement and how does it affect a hurricane claim?
An ACV roof endorsement is a separate provision many Texas and Florida carriers have added at renewal in recent years that pays only Actual Cash Value (replacement cost minus depreciation) on the roof surfacing - even when the rest of the policy is written at Replacement Cost Value (RCV). On a 15-year-old composition roof, an ACV-roof endorsement can reduce a $30,000 RCV replacement to under $10,000 of paid loss, with the rest absorbed by depreciation the carrier keeps. The endorsement is usually titled "Actual Cash Value Loss Settlement - Windstorm or Hail Loss to Roof," "Roof Coverage - ACV," or a "Roof Payment Schedule." Pull your declarations page this week and look for it. If it is on your policy, ask your agent whether you can buy back full RCV roof coverage before the season starts.
What is a cosmetic damage exclusion and should I be worried about it?
A cosmetic damage exclusion is an endorsement that lets the carrier deny payment for hail-dented metal roof panels, metal siding, gutters, downspouts, vents, and AC condenser fins on the theory that the damage is "only cosmetic" and does not impair function. The carrier defines "cosmetic" expansively, and once invoked the exclusion can knock tens of thousands of dollars off a legitimate hail claim. If you own a home with metal roofing or metal exterior surfaces in Texas or Florida, this is a serious exposure - check your policy for this endorsement this week and ask your agent whether it can be removed.
How much does a public adjuster cost?
DCS public adjusting works on contingency: no recovery, no fee. You pay nothing upfront for our public-adjusting service; the fee comes out of the money recovered. Texas law caps a public adjuster's fee at 10% of the insurance settlement. For Florida homeowner and condo unit-owner policies, fee limits are generally 10% for claims about a Governor-declared emergency made during the year after the declaration, and 20% for other claims. Lower limits and other restrictions can apply. For Florida commercial claims, check the fee terms in the written agreement and under Florida law. Review the written fee agreement before signing.
