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It Wasn’t a Tornado, But It Did A Lot of Damage. Am I Covered?

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Understanding the Importance of Windstorm Insurance in Texas

If you live in Texas, you’re likely aware that tornado insurance is a wise investment. However, some storms don’t classify as tornadoes but can still cause significant damage. A strong gale at 39–46 knots on the Beaufort scale is enough to break a branch off a tree. While this may not be as disastrous as a tornado, which, meteorologically speaking, is a vortex of violently rotating air and thus not technically a windstorm, a windstorm can still cause enough damage that you may want to find out if your insurance can cover the cost of fixing the damage.

Your Homeowners Insurance Could Cover It

Typically, homeowners insurance will automatically cover wind damage. However, if you live in a coastal region or any other area considered high-risk, you may be required to purchase a separate policy. Remember that many policies come with a "named storm" deductible. If the storm was severe enough for the National Weather Service to name it, your deductible will likely be a small percentage of the total dwelling coverage. Texas is one of the states that allows home insurance companies to add on hurricane deductibles. It’s a good idea to discuss with your agent how your policy covers your property in the event of wind damage.

ACU Insurance Services: Serving League City, TX

If you are in the League City, TX area and think windstorm insurance would be a good idea, please get in touch with ACU Insurance Services. We’re ready to help you!

What Homeowners Need to Know About Flood Zones and Risk Factors

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Understanding flood zones and risk factors is crucial to protecting your home. Whether you’re a first-time homeowner or have lived in your house for decades, knowing your property’s flood risk can save you time, money, and stress. At ACU Insurance Services in League City, TX, we’re here to help you navigate these important details so you can feel confident in your coverage.

What Are Flood Zones?

Flood zones are areas mapped by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to indicate levels of flood risk. These zones are divided into categories like high-risk, moderate-risk, and low-risk. If your property is in a high-risk flood zone, there’s a higher likelihood of flooding, often requiring mandatory flood insurance. However, even homes in low-risk zones aren’t completely safe—floods can happen anywhere due to unexpected weather patterns or infrastructure issues.

Factors That Influence Flood Risk

Flood risk goes beyond zones on a map. Your home’s specific location, elevation, and proximity to bodies of water all play a role. Climate trends, such as increasing rainfall and stronger storms, are also intensifying flood risks in previously considered safe areas. Additionally, urban development can impact drainage systems, potentially putting more homes at risk.

The Importance of Flood Insurance

Standard homeowners insurance doesn’t cover flood damage, so flood insurance is essential. Without it, recovering from flood-related losses can be financially devastating. A policy tailored to your needs ensures you’re prepared for the unexpected.

At ACU Insurance Services in League City, TX, we specialize in helping homeowners understand their risks and secure the proper coverage. Contact us today to protect your home and your peace of mind.

Freezing Temperatures and Your Home

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Preparing Your Home for Freezing Temperatures

Even if you live close to Galveston Bay, those chilly winter winds can bring the temperature down to the 30’s, especially at night. Waking up in the morning to find that a pipe burst while you were sleeping is a situation no one wants to face. While home insurance can help mitigate some of the damage that frozen temperatures do to your home, it’s better still to take some preventative measures to ensure your home doesn’t take damage due to freezing before it happens. It’s easier than you might think!

Defending Against the Elements

You’ll probably not need that garden hose until late spring anyway, so store it away and shut off water to outdoor faucets. Make sure your insulation is up to code, including attics, basements, and crawlspaces. Keep your home warm by sealing any cracks or fissures with caulk, spray foam insulation, or weather stripping. If you can’t get a pipe adequately insulated on a freezing night, you may have to set the faucet on a slow drip to keep everything moving. Know where the water shut off is and keep it accessible. Keep your garage doors closed. Clean your gutters before it gets cold so you won’t have an ice problem. If you have an attic, make sure it’s properly ventilated. Maintain your thermostat. If you go on vacation during the winter, have the water shut off before you leave. Make sure all of your appliances are up to date and not just sucking energy.

Contact ACU Insurance Services Serving League City, TX

We at ACU Insurance Services hope you stay warm this winter. If you live in the League City, TX, area and need home insurance, we’re just a phone call away!

How Many Perils Should Your Home Policy Cover?

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Understanding Homeowners’ Insurance for First-Time Buyers in League City, TX

As a first-time home buyer, you’re also stepping into the world of homeowners’ insurance for the first time. At ACU Insurance Services, we aim to help our customers in League City, TX, understand the intricacies of homeowners’ insurance. Your insurance agent will present you with various options, and your choice of HO level of insurance will determine the number of perils your policy covers.

Defining a Peril

In insurance terms, perils refer to hazards or mishaps caused by nature or human actions. These can range from natural disasters like hurricanes or earthquakes to human-induced incidents like vandalism or theft. Essentially, a peril represents any adverse event that could damage your house.

Decoding HO Levels

Home insurance covers all types of housing. In the insurance industry, we use HO codes to categorize the type of home covered. For example, a single-family home could be protected under HO-1, HO-2, HO-3, HO-5, or HO-8.

Basic Coverage

Home policies offer varying levels of peril coverage, ranging from 10 perils (named peril minimum coverage) to all-perils coverage. An HO-1 homeowners policy covers ten basic perils that constitute the most common risks. A peril isn’t covered if it is not explicitly named in the policy. Most homeowners won’t have the option to purchase HO-8 as this special form of home insurance is reserved for historical homes and architecturally significant properties. For instance, if you buy a house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, you’d need HO-8, which provides the same coverage as HO-1.

Mid-Level Coverage

Stepping up a level, HO-2 policies cover 16 common perils, each specifically named in the policy. Most homeowners opt for an HO-3 policy that provides open peril coverage, also known as all-peril coverage in the industry, as it covers every peril except those specifically excluded in the policy.

Comprehensive Coverage

If you want comprehensive coverage, consider an HO-5 policy. It offers open peril coverage and extends the coverage beyond the home’s structure to the homeowners’ personal property.

Get in Touch With Us

You’ll need your home insurance policy to close on your League City, TX, home purchase, so call or email ACU Insurance Services today. Let us help you secure the home coverage you need.

What Disasters Does Flood Insurance Cover?

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Whether you live in a flood zone or just want to have extra protection from water damage, one of the options is to opt into flood insurance for your home. Understanding when you can use that coverage means knowing what types of events are covered under flood insurance.

Flash-Flooding

If your area experiences a high amount of rain in a short period, you could fall victim to flash-flooding. This means that you will get a lot of water really fast, and it could cause damage starting at the first floor and moving up.

Mudslides

Some areas will experience long-term rain, which causes mudslides in the area. When this happens, excess water gets washed into an area that might otherwise not flood, causing damage to the external part of the home. This can also happen when there is a land collapse from erosion and the water is strong enough to start washing parts of land away from the property.

Tropical Storms

These storms develop out of the ocean, traveling for hundreds of miles out in the ocean picking up speed, and can travel for miles inland. They will have severe flooding impacts due to the amount of rain coming in off of the storm and the wind coming with it.

Groundwater Flooding

Sometimes the water table beneath your home can start to flood, causing water to start rising from beneath the ground and onto the property. Groundwater flooding will start to cause damage to the foundation, and then move into the home until the water goes down beneath your home.

The damage to your home caused by these disasters can be extensive, which is why it’s a good idea to have flood insurance supplementing your main policy. If you’re in the League City, TX area, or surrounding communities, contact our team at ACU Insurance Services today for a personal quote.

What Is (and Isn’t) Covered by Windstorm Insurance?

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All of our customers in League City, TX, and the entire state of Texas are keenly aware of the potential for damage from wind. ACU Insurance Services can write the coverage you need to protect your possessions from this well-known hazard with windstorm insurance.

Windstorm insurance typically covers damage from straight-line winds, gusts of wind, and tornadoes. It offers wind and hail coverage for physical damage to your personal and real property, including both your personal belongings and structures around your house.

However, it typically does not cover some other common hazards.

  • Windstorm insurance does not cover damage caused by flooding or storm surges. You can speak with your agent about getting flood coverage with private and government flood insurance.
  • Damage to a vehicle caused by a falling tree or other debris isn’t covered by windstorm insurance, either. This may be covered by the comprehensive rider in your auto policy. Ask your agent.
  • Wear and tear, such as rotted boards or cracked window seals, isn’t covered just because they give way during a windstorm. Normal wear and tear may be covered by a warranty but not by insurance, nor is insect and rodent damage.
  • Removing fallen trees from your yard is not covered.
  • Expensive jewelry, artwork, and electronics may be covered by additional insurance, but they are not automatically part of your windstorm policy. This is also true of household antiques and classic cars.

Windstorm insurance may also include loss-of-use coverage, which can help cover expenses if you can’t live in your home due to damage.

On a standard casualty insurance policy, Windstorm insurance is often offered as a rider. ACU Insurance Services writes windstorm coverage for League City, TX, and the rest of the state. Call us today to get the windstorm coverage you need!

Getting your Texas home ready for fall hurricane season

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Each year, about 150 tropical depressions form in the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico. On average, six of these will develop into hurricanes. Out of these, Texas is hit by a hurricane approximately three times every four years. This pattern, recorded over almost 200 years, can be relied upon. At ACU Insurance Services in League City, TX, we assist our customers in preparing for hurricane season.

Ensure you have insurance coverage.

One of the first actions you should take is to verify that hurricane damage is not excluded from your home insurance policy. If it is, you must acquire alternative coverage through another policy or a rider. Contact your insurance agent at once.

Check your roof

Your roof must be in sound condition to shield your home from a hurricane. Have a professional inspect it and recommend any required repairs. Replacing any loose or damaged tiles can prevent internal damage.

Clean your gutters

Gutters collect debris from trees and leaves during the early fall. If your gutters are not functioning correctly, massive downpours can cause backup and damage to your home’s ceiling.

Trim tree branches

Given that hurricanes bring strong winds, ensuring no tree limbs are overhanging your home and all dead branches are removed will protect your home from being damaged by flying wood.

Have an evacuation plan

In case of flooding, you should be prepared with an escape plan and keep all your important documents in a waterproof container that you can easily take with you.

If you would like to discuss your home insurance needs, contact our office at ACU Insurance Services in League City, TX.

Why Every Homeowner Needs Flood Insurance

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Many homeowners underestimate the need for flood insurance, erroneously considering it unnecessary. However, it’s essential to possess home and flood insurance when you own a home. Holding both types of policy offers protection from a vast spectrum of risks that homeowners confront. If you suddenly need flood insurance to bolster your financial defense, don’t hesitate to contact us at ACU Insurance Services in League City, TX.

Floods Can Happen Anywhere

A common misconception leads many people to skip flood insurance simply because they do not reside within a designated flood zone. The prevailing notion is that flooding solely occurs within these delineated zones. Despite the increased likelihood of floods in these areas, they certainly aren’t the exclusive sites of such natural disasters. Most flood damage claims originate from within these zones, but a significant one in five emerges from outside these areas. Thus, coverage remains necessary, regardless of your residential location.

Impact of Flood Damage

Floods can cause extensive damage to structures, landscapes, and hardscapes. Flooding can cause such severe damage to a home that it necessitates a complete reconstruction. Flood insurance can defray costs associated with such damages and aid in rebuilding, should the need arise. Flood insurance is regulated and backed by the National Flood Insurance Program, a federal assurance that provides a safety net in cases of flooding-induced damage. Uniform pricing of flood insurance ensures affordability and accessibility to all potential policyholders.

Secure Your Flood Insurance Policy

If you own a home and do not yet have a flood insurance policy, now is the time to take action. Contact us at ACU Insurance Services in League City, TX to learn more.

How to Defend a Home Against High Winds

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High winds are not something that homeowners think about until they encounter them. The destructive force of high winds is enough to throw things around, damage various areas of the property that are exposed to the elements, and, in extreme cases, destroy the whole property itself. You can’t prepare for every potential possibility or even prevent your home from becoming damaged when a serious natural disaster arrives. But you can find ways to improve the home’s durability so that it’s better equipped to deal with such threats. Here’s some helpful guidance on defending your home against high winds and how we here at ACU Insurance Services in League City, TX can help you with further preparations. 

How to Defend a Home Against High Winds

The first step in defending a home against high winds is identifying the most vulnerable areas. This often includes the roof, weakened walls, exposed areas like windows, and even some of your yard decorations. The next step is to secure these areas. If your roof hasn’t received maintenance in a while, getting it repaired or even switching to a stronger roofing material is an excellent choice. Reinforcing your windows and walls will help them stay in place and prevent things from crashing through them easily. When it comes to your outdoor decor, firmly attaching everything to the ground can prevent things from being blown around. It’s a lot of work but worth it in the long run!

Protect Your Home With ACU Insurance Services

When high winds strike, you want to ensure you’re covered. At ACU Insurance Services in League City, TX, we work diligently with homeowners like you to get windstorm insurance you can depend on. Compare quotes or contact us today!

Can Flood Insurance Protect a Vacation Home?

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At ACU Insurance Services in League City, TX, we can help you insure your primary residence and your vacation home as needed. For homeowners who are affected by flooding or concerned about flooding, flood insurance is a must. Additionally, some mortgage lenders require flood insurance to lend to you. When you own a vacation home, you may be extra worried about flood damage since you’re not always occupying the dwelling. We can address these concerns in the article below.

What Is Flood Insurance?

Flood insurance covers damage related to flooding. In qualifying events, you can expect most flood insurance policies to provide coverage for repairing the damage associated with these circumstances. Since regular homeowner’s insurance doesn’t cover flooding in many cases, it’s smart to have flood insurance as extra protection.

Can Flood Insurance Protect a Vacation Home?

Although every second home insurance policy is different, most home insurance policies for primary dwellings and secondary dwellings will not provide coverage for flooding. As a result, you will most likely require specialized flood insurance if you own one or more houses. For vacation properties, flood insurance can be useful. As long as you find a flood insurance policy that covers vacation homes or secondary dwellings, you can use that coverage in the event of a flood. 

Before you assume that flood insurance covers a secondary dwelling, you should speak with our insurance agents and review your options for protecting a vacation home from flood damage. Additionally, you should get coverage before you need it. Waiting until a flood happens to explore options can make it impossible to cover those expenses.

To protect all of your properties, call our team at ACU Insurance Services in League City, TX!