Galveston, Brazoria and Chambers: roofing where the water arrives first

Hurricane Ike, September 13, 2008

The National Hurricane Center puts Ike's center ashore along the north end of Galveston Island at 0700 UTC on September 13, 2008, with an estimated intensity of 95 knots. The report bases the 950-millibar landfall pressure on readings at Port Bolivar and the Galveston Pleasure Pier.

The water came first. By the evening of September 12, roughly six to eight hours before landfall, storm tides were already running near 8 feet in the vicinity of Galveston, and the highest inundation, at least 10 feet, reached the bay side of Galveston Island, the mainland Galveston County coast and Apffel Park at the island's northern tip (NHC). The same report says water had cut off evacuation routes from the Bolivar Peninsula before strong winds arrived, and that Brazoria County saw 5 to 10 feet of surge, including near Freeport.

Chambers County's NOAA entry describes storm tide pushing water 15 miles inland from East Bay and nearly 20 miles inland from the Gulf, with debris from destroyed Bolivar structures found across interior Chambers County (NCEI event 136429). FEMA's major disaster declaration DR-1791 covers all three counties.

A bay that floods from both directions

• Rita, 2005: after landfall to the east, northerly winds pushed Galveston Bay water south onto the northern shores of Galveston Island and the Bolivar Peninsula.
• Imelda, 2019: on landfall day, gauges at Eagle Point and Morgans Point on the bay measured surges of 2.35 and 2.31 feet, and the tropical storm warning went out only 45 minutes before landfall near Freeport.
• Nicholas, 2021: a TCOON gauge at Freeport Harbor measured 4.13 feet of surge, and NHC places the highest inundation in parts of Brazoria, Galveston and Harris counties, with moderate wind damage to homes in Galveston.
• Beryl, 2024: NHC estimates 4 to 6 feet of inundation from east of Freeport to the Galveston Bay entrance, including Galveston Bay, and 3 to 5 feet along the Bolivar Peninsula.

Smaller systems count too. On September 21, 2020, coastal flooding reached San Leon, Bayou Vista, Clear Lake Shores and Kemah, and the Kemah Boardwalk flooded (NCEI event 920224).

Hail, tornadoes and waterspouts

NOAA's Storm Events Database logs 13 hail events of an inch or more in Galveston County from 2016 through 2025, 11 tornadoes and 43 flash floods; Brazoria County logged 14 tornadoes. The county records hold some sharp single events:

• April 2, 2013, Hitchcock: baseball to softball hail caused extreme damage to vehicles and to home roofs and windows, and severely damaged seven police cars (NCEI event 447821).
• May 31, 2024, Dickinson: hail up to baseball size was collected around the National Weather Service forecast office (NCEI event 1170594).
• August 30, 2009, Galveston: a waterspout moved ashore near 29th Street and Seawall Boulevard and blew the roof off a souvenir shop (NCEI event 185962).
• December 28, 2024: an EF2 tornado damaged or destroyed homes between Alvin and Liverpool, killing one person (NCEI event 1224047), while an EF3 tracked from near Smith Point to the Chambers and Jefferson county line (NCEI event 1224049).

Windstorm paperwork around the bay

Unlike Harris County, where only a few cities qualify, TDI's adopted codes page says every other county on its catastrophe-area map is part of the windstorm program in full. That puts every roof replacement in Galveston, Brazoria and Chambers counties inside the inspection rules, apart from the small repairs TDI exempts. The City of Galveston's windstorm page reminds builders that compliance with the TDI code is what earns the WPI-8, and with it eligibility for TWIA coverage.

TDI runs windstorm field offices in La Marque and Angleton, along with Beaumont and Corpus Christi, according to TWIA. Homes in flood zones V, VE or V1-30 that were built or altered on or after September 1, 2009 also need proof of flood insurance for TWIA where the NFIP offers it (TWIA). The windstorm certificates guide walks through inspections step by step.

Roofers around Galveston Bay

The National Roofing Directory lists roofers by city for Galveston, League City and Pearland.

More names are on the directory's pages for League City roofers and Pearland roofers, and tropical alerts appear on the Texas storm center.

Frequently asked questions

Is all of Galveston County in the windstorm program?

Yes. TDI's adopted codes page says that, except for Harris County, the entire county of each county on its designated catastrophe area map is part of the program. Galveston, Brazoria and Chambers are all on TDI's WPI-8 county list.

Where did Hurricane Ike make landfall?

Along the north end of Galveston Island at 0700 UTC on September 13, 2008, according to the National Hurricane Center. NHC estimates the landfall intensity at 95 knots.

Does a Galveston Island home need flood insurance to get TWIA?

Only in certain cases. TWIA requires proof of flood insurance for properties in flood zones V, VE or V1-30 built or altered on or after September 1, 2009 that can get NFIP coverage (TWIA). Your agent can confirm your zone.