Tropical Storm Edouard aims at Texas: the flood gap

The National Hurricane Center says Tropical Storm Edouard formed in the northern Gulf and is expected to strengthen before landfall near the Texas-Louisiana border. Forecasters flag heavy rainfall and flash flooding along the upper Texas and southwestern Louisiana coasts as the main danger, not wind.

That distinction matters on a claim. A standard homeowners policy covers wind-driven rain that gets in through a hole the storm made, but it does not cover rising water. Flood is a separate policy, through the NFIP or a private carrier, and NFIP coverage typically will not take effect for 30 days after you buy it. Once a named storm is in the box, most carriers also stop writing new business in the affected counties until it clears. If you are inland and assume flood is a coastal problem, check your zone anyway. A large share of flood claims come from properties outside high-risk zones.

Nothing you buy today helps with this storm. That is exactly why the call is worth making after it passes. An independent agent can price a flood policy for your address and start the clock before the next one forms.