Storm and Wind Water Damage in East Texas

What counts as storm water damage here

This page covers water that gets into your home because of storm damage, not roof repair itself and not river or creek flooding. Common causes: a roof torn open by wind or a fallen limb, wind-driven rain through a broken window or door, a tree that punches through a wall or roof, and a sump pump that fails during a power outage. If your water came from a swollen creek, the Sabine River, or runoff that crossed the ground into your home, see flood cleanup instead, since that’s insured and handled differently.

First steps after a storm

Do these in order once it is safe to move around your property.

1. Stay away from downed power lines and sagging wires. Do not assume a silent line is dead, and report it instead of moving it.
2. Check for gas leaks and structural danger before going inside. Wait for the area to be cleared if you smell gas or the structure looks unstable.
3. Make temporary repairs only. The Texas Department of Insurance advises removing standing water and covering broken windows and holes to keep rain out, and notes your policy may pay for temporary repairs.
4. Photograph everything before you tarp, board up, or move anything: the storm damage itself and every wet area inside.
5. Keep every receipt for tarps, plywood, or other emergency material, since your policy may reimburse those costs.
6. Start drying what you can safely reach, moving furniture off wet flooring and running fans if the power is on.
7. Call your insurer to open the claim, and if water is still spreading inside, request a call back and we’ll get the drying started.

Wind-driven rain vs. a flood: why insurance treats them differently

Wind-driven rain that enters through storm damage, like a hole in the roof or a blown-out window, is generally treated as wind and hail damage under a standard homeowners policy: sudden and accidental, like a burst pipe. Floodwater that enters from outside the home, from a rising river or overland runoff, falls under a completely separate flood policy instead. Mixing the two up is one of the most common insurance mistakes after a storm.

Water source	Insurance category	Who pays
Rain through a wind-damaged roof or window	Wind/hail claim	Homeowners insurer, subject to wind/hail deductible
Rising creek, river, or overland runoff	Flood claim	NFIP or private flood insurer only
Sump pump failure in a power outage	Often excluded	Homeowners insurer, only with a water backup endorsement
Tree falling on the house, letting rain in	Wind damage plus water	Homeowners insurer, subject to wind/hail deductible

The wind or hail deductible

Most Texas homeowners policies carry a separate deductible for wind and hail claims, distinct from your regular deductible. The Texas Department of Insurance confirms that a policy may pay for wind and hail damage the same way it pays for fire or theft, but with a different deductible for windstorm damage, and that this applies statewide, not just along the coast. Check your declarations page for your specific wind/hail deductible before assuming it matches your regular one.

TWIA does not cover East Texas

The Texas Windstorm Insurance Association is a state-created insurer of last resort for wind and hail coverage, but it only serves a designated list of coastal counties: Aransas, Brazoria, Calhoun, Cameron, Chambers, Galveston, Jefferson, Kenedy, Kleberg, Matagorda, Nueces, Refugio, San Patricio, Willacy, and part of Harris County. Smith County (Tyler) and Gregg County (Longview) are not on that list; homeowners here get wind and hail coverage through a standard homeowners policy instead.

Filing a claim and deadlines

File your storm damage claim as soon as it’s safe to do so. TDI’s guidance for wind and hail damage is to file as soon as possible rather than wait, and Texas law sets deadlines once you file: the insurer must acknowledge the claim and start investigating within 15 days, and accept or reject it within 15 business days after it receives everything it asked for, with up to 45 more days if it tells you it needs more time. After a weather catastrophe declared by the insurance commissioner, each deadline is extended by 15 days (Insurance Code chapter 542). See our insurance and water damage guide for the full claim timeline and what to do if a claim is denied.

Be ready when the adjuster visits: point out every area of damage, including water stains, and bring your photos and receipts. TDI also notes that if you cannot stay in your house after a storm, most policies cover some related living costs, so keep your receipts.

How storm water damage is dried

Once the opening is temporarily sealed, drying storm water damage follows the same process as any other indoor water loss (see what water damage restoration involves for the full sequence). A restoration company inspects to find every place water traveled, not just the room under the hole, since wind-driven rain often runs sideways into wall cavities. Standing water is extracted first, then air movers and dehumidifiers run for several days, and moisture meters confirm materials are actually dry before equipment comes out. Materials soaked for more than a day or two, or that carried in roofing debris and outdoor grime, are more likely to need removal and replacement. For a full cost breakdown, see our water damage cost guide.

Roofer or restoration company: who to call

Storm damage almost always splits into two jobs with two kinds of contractors, and it helps to know which one you need before you start getting quotes.

Storm damage type	Who covers it	Who to call
Torn or missing shingles, damaged flashing	Wind/hail claim	A roofing contractor (ask for proof of insurance and references)
Wet drywall, soaked insulation from a roof leak	Wind/hail claim	A local water damage restoration company
Broken window letting in wind-driven rain	Wind/hail claim	Board-up service, then a restoration company
Fallen tree through the roof or wall	Wind/hail claim (removal often included)	Tree removal, a roofer, then a restoration company
Rising water from a creek, river, or overland flow	Flood policy only	A restoration company that handles flood cleanup

We help with the water inside your home. We don’t provide roof repair, so you will need a separate roofing contractor for that part of the job.

Avoiding storm chaser contractors

After any significant hailstorm or windstorm, out-of-town roofing crews commonly move through affected neighborhoods offering fast repairs. TDI’s guidance after hail or windstorms recommends getting more than one bid, checking references and the Better Business Bureau, never paying in full up front, and never signing a contract with blank spaces.

One warning sign is legally serious: it is illegal in Texas for a contractor to waive, absorb, or rebate your deductible. Under Texas Business and Commerce Code Section 27.02, a contractor who offers to cover your deductible commits a Class B misdemeanor. TDI’s roofing and insurance guidance adds that a roofer cannot act as your public insurance adjuster while also doing the repair work. Report suspected violations to the Texas Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division at 800-621-0508.

East Texas storm risk

Tyler and Longview are served by the National Weather Service office in Shreveport, which issues severe thunderstorm and tornado warnings for Smith and Gregg counties. Both counties have had confirmed tornadoes recently: NWS rated a May 6, 2025 tornado near Bullard in Smith County an EF-1 with peak winds of 93 mph, and an EF1 with peak winds of 94 mph moved through Kilgore in Gregg County on October 28, 2025. Straight-line thunderstorm winds cause much of the roof and window damage too; NWS surveyed straight-line wind damage in Longview in March 2026.

Our insurance and water damage guide walks through claim documentation, and we help homeowners in Tyler and Longview too.