TWIA Bulletin: Flood Insurance Requirement

Many TWIA policyholders impacted by Hurricane Nicholas live in areas where, if certain conditions are met, a TWIA eligibility requirement to obtain flood insurance is triggered. This is mandated by law in the Texas Insurance Code Chapter 2210 and TWIA’s Plan of Operation.

Repairs do NOT trigger this requirement. Please review the summary below to learn about what does.

TWIA Flood Insurance Requirement
The flood insurance requirement is triggered when ALL of the following conditions are met:

1. Any part of the property is located in a V, VE, or V1-V30 flood zone, as defined by the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).
   You can look up flood zones by property address on the FEMA website.
2. Flood insurance is available for the property from the NFIP.
3. The structure is constructed, altered, remodeled, or enlarged after September 1, 2009.
   This does not include repairs.

Here are some examples of the third condition, above:

Do NOT trigger the flood insurance requirement Re-roofing or re-siding a house* Interior changes to plumbing or fixtures Replacing windows with the same size as were there before

Do trigger the flood insurance requirement Changing the pitch of the roof* Building an addition; adding attached porches, patios, or carports* Enclosing a garage* Installing larger windows than were there before*

*Will require a windstorm Certificate of Compliance.

Windstorm Certificates of Compliance (WPI-8/WPI-8-E)
Although repairs will not trigger the flood insurance requirement, many repairs will still need a Certificate of Compliance for the property to remain eligible for TWIA coverage. These certificates show that the structure meets the windstorm building code requirements for the area. The TWIA website provides more information, including examples of what does and doesn’t need to be certified.

As a reminder, the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) can provide a free windstorm inspection during the repair process. This is handled through their Windstorm Inspection Program, which issues all Certificates of Compliance. Any interested property owners are encouraged to contact TDI as soon as possible.

For More Information
If you or your clients have any questions or concerns about TWIA flood insurance requirements, more information is available at www.twia.org/twia-flood-requirements. Another helpful resource for the TWIA claims process is www.twia.org/claimscenter, which includes deadlines, dispute options, and guides about repairs, fraud, estimates, and more.

The TWIA Agent Services team is also available to help! Contact them at [email protected] or (800) 788-8247.

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