Hurricane Ike reached Galveston, Texas, on September 13, 2008, and is known as the most costly weather catastrophe in state history, accounting for more than $12 billion in insurance claims. The best Texas homeowners insurance comparison will prepare you for these natural disasters. You don’t need to worry about having the right homeowners’ insurance policy.

How are Hurricane Names Chosen?

The benefit of modern technology is that global meteorologists can predict how various storms might proceed. Satellites can assist with 24/7/365 tracking. In addition, the World Wide Web allows for the fast exchange of data. In fact, since 1953, the National Hurricane Center has developed an annual list of Atlantic Ocean hurricane names. It will use these as the tropical storms form. If they do not use a character, the National Hurricane Center will recycle it for future usage. In some ways, Hurricane Ike was a prolonged moving storm. The slow movement made the destruction path more widespread, but some of its strength had already dissipated by the time it reached Texas.

Forewarned is Forearmed

Meteorologists started watching tropical storm Ike on September 1, 2008, and contacted local officials, warning them of potential dangers. As the threat increased, authorities issued mandatory evacuations in several Texas cities.

Thankfully, on September 11, 2008, the National Weather Service in Houston warned residents of single-family homes that they might face “certain death” if not evacuate. Some experts estimate that at least 40% of the Galveston residents heeded the call. When Category 2 Hurricane Ike reached landfall near Galveston Island, Texas, the minimum barometric pressure was 950 bar, and sustained winds reached 110 mph.

Ike accounted for 195 total deaths, with 20 in Texas; even 16 reported missing. The search-and-rescue operation after Ike was the largest in Texas history. Ike was the third hurricane during that 2008 Atlantic hurricane season.

Windstorm & Flooding Damage

The primary homeowners’ damage after Hurricane Ike was from wind and water. Windstorm damage is a common claim for Texas homeowners insurance. You should ensure that you can review this coverage category when you make your Texas homeowners insurance comparison.

The Insurance Services Office (ISO) estimated that the windstorm claims in the State of Texas amounted to $9.8 billion in total. In addition, the Texas Department of Insurance recorded more than 800,000 windstorm claims based on Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA) figures.

The waves from Hurricane Ike reached 16 feet high along Bolivar Peninsula and Galveston Bay. In addition, the rising storm surge submerged most of Galveston Island. The National Flood Insurance Program said that residents filed nearly 44,000 flood claims, costing more than $2 billion.

Insurance companies still received claims sixteen months after Hurricane Ike. You can find the best policy for any unforeseen dangers during Texas homeowners insurance comparison. Learn the proper lessons from the Hurricane Ike calamity.

How Does Hurricane Ike Rank?

Eventually, Hurricane Ike left a path of destruction through Cape Verde, Turks & Caicos, Haiti, Bahamas, Cuba, Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Florida, Ohio, and even Canada, causing $37.5 billion worth of total damage from September 1 to September 13, 2008. Ike also impacted the gas price as it shut down 14 oil refineries. In addition, 150 oil tankers remained offshore during the hurricane.

While Texas residents suffered greatly from the ravages of Ike, it is only ranked third-highest amongst all American hurricanes in terms of cost. Data ranks hurricane Katrina in 2005 first, and it ranks hurricane Sandy in 2012 second in terms of its price. Of course, one of the primary complaints with Hurricane Katrina was that authorities did not adequately warn residents. Furthermore, the Louisiana dike system seemed to be in a pitiful state of disrepair.

Hurricane Insurance

There can be a lot of tension, stress, and confusion during natural disasters. Mandatory evacuations can be complicated, but public officials do not issue these lightly. It is better to lose a replaceable piece of property than an irreplaceable human life.

No one can predict when the next hurricane will strike. When you conduct your Texas homeowners insurance comparison up top, you might want to keep this in your mind. Hurricane season is not going to change. It is wise to prepare before the next natural disaster strikes.