Hurricane evacuation? (Houston, Galveston: homeowners insurance, home, tornadoes)

[nkhan]

Hi all
We are soon moving from Mn to clearlake ..i want to know how often the hurrican evacuation takes place?does that means high home owners insurence also?and what are the places where all this evacuation doesnt occur frequently....??

Thanx

[cheryjohns]

I have lived here 35 plus years. I have evacuated zero times. 4 hurricanes and a tropical storm. I lost about 12 roof shingles on the last one. Oh, yeah, and three fence boards. There are much better stories but this shows how over-blown the whole thing is over-all.

[DanielWayne]

These maps shows the evacuation zones. Evacuations are RARE. Just learn how to be prepared, and keep up with weather reports.

tropical_maps

[carryyourbooks]

there are no regular evacuations. the authorities do a good job of getting information out to everyone via the media. while some us have been fortunate with the storms, there are many who were affected greatly. ike was a prime example. there were people who went with power for more than 2 weeks after ike only because there were SOOOOOOO many people who lost power. no matter where you go, there are gonna be natural disasters. with a hurricane, you pretty much know what to expect. we have had some rough ones over the years, but we survived.

[Malvie]

Originally Posted by nkhan

Hi all
We are soon moving from Mn to clearlake ..i want to know how often the hurrican evacuation takes place?does that means high home owners insurence also?and what are the places where all this evacuation doesnt occur frequently....??

Thanx

Our homeowners insurance rates in Texas are among the highest in the nation, so you're likely in for sticker shock on that one no matter what. But yes, flood insurance is a desirable item here, and it costs.

As for evacuations, we evacuate for hurricanes about as often as Minnesotans evacuate for snow events. I've lived both places. Trust me, you've nothing to fear.

[Poltracker]

The National Weather Service and local governments have hurricane town hall meetings every year just before hurricane season that are very informative and educational. You can generally check their website in April to find the dates of the meeting in your area. I would suggest you attend at least one to answer all your questions. Where you are in Clear Lake determines which evacuation zone you are in. There is a mandatory evacuation law but they will not drag you from your home, however, state law provides that emergency services can legally ignore your calls for help once the wind from the hurricane or storm starts effecting your area making it unsafe to drive.

As for insurance...again, depending where you live in Clear Lake, you may be required to carry flood insurance and wind insurance. Each add on to the cost of your home owner's policy. You should also look at the deductables on your home owner's policy, many deductables double or triple if damage is from a named storm (this often catches folks by surprise based on what happened during Ike). Even if you are not required to carry flood insurance, you may find it a good idea to carry it, especially if you are near water that can rise during a storm surge.

Having said all that, I wouldn't want to be anywhere near Clear Lake if a strong Cat 3 storm hit head on (Ike was a Cat 2 and Alicia was barely a Cat 3). The worst damage will be in the areas effected by the eyewall and storm surge. Thank goodness the big storms don't happen all that often. Big storms = 1900 hurricane (Cat 4 Galveston), 1915 hurricane (Cat 4 200 + people died), 1943 surprise hurricane (Cat 1 possible Cat 2 due to war era silence, 19 people died), Carla 1961 (Cat 4, hit Matagorda but did damage along Galveston Bay and Houston areas), Alicia 1983 (Cat 3), Ike 2008 (Cat 2 winds, Cat 4 storm surge). Hurrricane Rita (2005) and Hurricane Audrey (1957) were close misses to our east. Note, there were many more hurricanes and tropical storms, some had a quite an impact i.e. Allison in 2001 but they were not "major hurricanes".

[nkhan]

Originally Posted by DanielWayne

These maps shows the evacuation zones. Evacuations are RARE. Just learn how to be prepared, and keep up with weather reports.

tropical_maps

Thanx

[nkhan]

Originally Posted by Malvie

Our homeowners insurance rates in Texas are among the highest in the nation, so you're likely in for sticker shock on that one no matter what. But yes, flood insurance is a desirable item here, and it costs.

As for evacuations, we evacuate for hurricanes about as often as Minnesotans evacuate for snow events. I've lived both places. Trust me, you've nothing to fear.

Thanxwe dont only evacuate for snow emergencies but for tornadoes alsoand twisters TOOO

[nkhan]

Originally Posted by cheryjohns

I have lived here 35 plus years. I have evacuated zero times. 4 hurricanes and a tropical storm. I lost about 12 roof shingles on the last one. Oh, yeah, and three fence boards. There are much better stories but this shows how over-blown the whole thing is over-all.

Thanxi hope we have same good experience.

[nkhan]

Originally Posted by carryyourbooks

there are no regular evacuations. the authorities do a good job of getting information out to everyone via the media. while some us have been fortunate with the storms, there are many who were affected greatly. ike was a prime example. there were people who went with power for more than 2 weeks after ike only because there were SOOOOOOO many people who lost power. no matter where you go, there are gonna be natural disasters. with a hurricane, you pretty much know what to expect. we have had some rough ones over the years, but we survived.

Yes Media is the biggest source about natural disasters everywhere..and natural disaster can occur in any part of country..
by living in Mn now we know how to be prepared for snow emergencies and tornadoes