Insurance pays after the storm; payroll and rent come due during it. This guide explains the TWIA role and how a coastal business can bridge the wait.
Apply Now →The Texas Windstorm Insurance Association is a not-for-profit association that provides windstorm and hail coverage for home and commercial property owners who cannot get that coverage in the regular market. For some businesses along the Texas coast it is where windstorm coverage comes from. Details on eligibility, coverage and claims are on the association’s website, and this page does not restate them.
Per the National Hurricane Center, Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30. For a coastal business that is nearly half the year in which a storm could close the doors. A closure and a claim are two separate cash events, and they do not happen on the same day.
| Stage | What goes out | What comes in |
|---|---|---|
| Before landfall | Boarding, supplies, staff pay for prep | Normal sales, if any |
| Closure days | Rent, payroll commitments, loan payments | Nothing |
| Damage assessment | Cleanup, temporary repairs, inspections | Possibly nothing yet |
| Claim filed and reviewed | Continued fixed costs | Insurer payments, when and if settled |
| Reopening | Restocking, rehiring, marketing to bring customers back | Sales ramp from a low base |
The middle rows of that table are the problem: weeks in which costs continue and the claim has not yet paid.
Review your policy’s terms with your agent, including deductibles and what is and is not covered, since those details decide how large the gap will be.
The business with a damaged building is the obvious case. Less obvious are the firms that depend on one: a food supplier whose restaurant customers are closed, a contractor whose crews are idle until sites reopen, or a boat repair shop whose customers have left town. Their own property may be intact while their receivables slow to nothing for weeks. Insurance on your property does not necessarily answer that second problem, so check with your agent what your policy covers about lost income and interruption.
Working capital can carry fixed costs and restocking while a claim is processed. For illustration only: a coastal restaurant with $28,000 in weekly fixed costs, closed for three weeks and waiting two more months for a claim, faces a large uncovered stretch. A request sized to the restart, not to the full damage amount, is easier to defend.
Texas Biz Funding considers $25,000 to $5,000,000, funded in as little as 24 hours after approval. Sole proprietors can apply, and the five-minute application uses a soft credit pull. Funding does not replace insurance.
A not-for-profit association that provides windstorm and hail insurance to property owners who cannot get that coverage in the regular market.
June 1 to November 30, per the National Hurricane Center.
No. Funding carries cash needs while a claim is processed; it does not settle the claim.
Dated photos of the building, equipment and inventory, plus your policy details.
Yes. Sole proprietors can apply.
Three months of business bank statements and a 5-minute application. FICO 500+ considered. $25,000 to $5,000,000, funded in as little as 24 hours.
Apply Now →It takes about two minutes and it will not affect your credit score.
No obligation • No impact to your credit score
