Although recent hurricane seasons have not been very active by Texas standards, the predictions for the 2016 hurricane season show that starting to change. Colorado State University recently released data predicting a total of 12 named storms. Five of those are expected to increase to hurricane strength, with two becoming major hurricanes.

Of course, a storm is only a concern if it is headed right for you, and this continues to be something that cannot be easily predicted. There have been years which were considered incredibly active, but had little to no impact because the hurricanes did not approach land. Conversely, even a relatively low activity season can have a devastating impact if just one large storm makes landfall. A good example of this is the 1983 hurricane season, which only had four named storms. However one of  those storms was Alicia, which devastated the Huston-Galveston area of the state. In the past ten years, there have been 7 hurricanes which have made landfall in the United States. This is significantly lower than for any previous ten year period. This may mean that we are due for a more active season with an increase in landfalls in the not so distant future.

Since it is ultimately impossible to predict the future, the best you can do is be prepared. Have your hurricane plan in place, make sure you are stocked with water and non-perishable food, and of course make sure that your home insurance will cover you in case the worst should happen. Even if you do not live near the coast, flooding can still be a major concern and is generally not covered by most homeowner’s policies. If you need assistance, the Southwest Insurance Center can help you to interpret your policy, and find additional flood insurance if needed. The Southwest Insurance Center is an independent agency and can help you find the policy which best fits your needs, at the correct price.