Water damage and mold help in Corpus Christi, TX
Corpus Christi sits on its bay about 3 miles from open Gulf water. That shapes most water damage here: storms that push water in, summer air that keeps it from drying out, and housing where about half the homes went up before 1980.
For homeowners. You will be connected with an independent local contractor. Calls may be recorded.
Corpus Christi by the numbers
Public figures for the city, and what each one changes when water gets into a house here.
77°F
Average July dew point
Summer air outside holds more water than the air in a dry room. Airing out a wet room here makes it wetter; dehumidifiers do the drying.
1981
Median year homes were built
Many homes of this age were plumbed in the years polybutylene supply pipe was common. It can split along its length, often inside a wall.
48%
Homes built before 1980
EPA lists textured paint, patching compounds and vinyl flooring among the places asbestos turns up in older homes. Ask before anything is cut out.
42%
Households that rent
A large share. If you rent, repairs to the building are the owner’s call, and this number is not for you.
8
NFIP Community Rating System class
Flood policies inside the mapped zone get a 10% premium discount because of the city's floodplain work.
2022
Current flood map in effect since
A house that was outside the zone on an older map may be inside it now, and the reverse. Look up the address on the current map.
0
Nights at or below 20°F, average year
In an average year a hard freeze does not happen. Supply hoses, water heaters and drains cause most indoor leaks.
What usually puts water inside a house here
On an ordinary day, the plumbing. The median Corpus Christi home was built in 1981, and 48% were built before 1980 (Census ACS). Homes of that age may still have original supply lines, water heaters near the end of their life, and air conditioning that runs most of the year. In a humid climate a clogged AC condensate line is a common slow leak.
In storm season, wind and surge. Hurricane Hanna came ashore on Padre Island on July 25, 2020 as a category 1 storm. The National Hurricane Center recorded its highest surge, 6.24 feet above normal tide, at the Bob Hall Pier gauge in Corpus Christi, and surge water got into the Art Museum of South Texas and the Texas State Aquarium. Three years earlier Hurricane Harvey made landfall near Rockport as a category 4. NHC wrote that Corpus Christi was spared the worst of it, with widespread but mostly minor damage, while wind damage was extreme in parts of Aransas, Nueces, Refugio and San Patricio counties.
Once in a while, a freeze. An average year here has no nights at or below 20°F, so few homes are plumbed with a hard freeze in mind. The February 2021 winter storms were declared a federal disaster for Nueces County (DR-4586), with assistance for households.
Three kinds of water, three different policies
Which policy answers depends on how the water got in, not on how much damage it did. Sort that out before anything is thrown away.
- Water from inside the house (a burst pipe, a failed water heater, an overflowing washer) is the homeowners policy, when it was sudden and accidental. A leak that ran for months is usually treated as wear and excluded.
- Wind damage that lets rain in goes to your wind and hail coverage. Nueces County is one of the 14 first-tier coastal counties where the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association writes policies. A TWIA policy covers wind and hail and, in its own words, “no other perils”: not a burst pipe, and not rising water.
- Rising water and storm surge is flood insurance only: an NFIP policy or a private flood policy. A new NFIP policy generally does not start until 30 days after purchase, so it cannot be bought once a storm is in the Gulf.
Flood insurance in Corpus Christi
The city takes part in the National Flood Insurance Program and sits in its Community Rating System at class 8. That class gives NFIP policies inside the mapped high-risk zone a 10% premium discount. The flood map in effect dates from 2022; if you last checked your address on an older map, check it again on FEMA’s Map Service Center.
Federal disaster declarations for Nueces County since 2015
Water-related declarations that named the county, from FEMA’s own records. “Household aid” means FEMA’s Individuals and Households Program was declared for the county.
| Declared | Event | FEMA |
|---|---|---|
| May 29, 2015 | Severe storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds and floodingHousehold aid declared | DR-4223 |
| Aug 25, 2017 | Hurricane HarveyHousehold aid declared | DR-4332 |
| Jul 26, 2020 | Hurricane Hanna (emergency declaration)Public assistance only | EM-3530 |
| Feb 19, 2021 | Severe winter stormsHousehold aid declared | DR-4586 |
| Jul 9, 2024 | Hurricane BerylPublic assistance only | DR-4798 |
Two different jobs
Water is in the house
Water damage in Corpus Christi
Stopping the source, getting water out, and drying walls and floors until readings say they are dry.
Water damage in Corpus Christi →
Mold has shown up
Mold removal in Corpus Christi
Sizing the growth, who may legally assess and who may remove it in Texas, and keeping it from coming back.
Mold removal in Corpus Christi →Renting in Corpus Christi? This number is not for you
About 42 in every 100 households here rent. Repairs to a rented home are arranged by the owner or the property manager, and the contractors behind this number work for owners. What a tenant can do instead →
When you call from Corpus Christi
- Say what failed or what you found, roughly when it started, and whether water is still coming in.
- You are connected with an independent contractor who works in Corpus Christi. Nothing is booked unless you agree to it.
- At the house they measure moisture, explain what can be dried in place and what has to be removed, and put the scope in writing.
- You decide. The contractor works for you, not for your insurance company.
For homeowners. You will be connected with an independent local contractor. Calls may be recorded.
Questions from Corpus Christi homeowners
Does my homeowners policy cover hurricane flooding in Corpus Christi?
No. Rising water and storm surge are covered only by flood insurance, through the NFIP or a private flood policy. The homeowners policy covers sudden water from inside the house, and wind damage goes to your wind and hail coverage, which in Nueces County is often a TWIA policy.
I rent my home in Corpus Christi. Should I call this number?
No. About 42% of households in Corpus Christi rent, and repairs to a rented building are the owner’s decision. The renters page explains what a tenant can do instead.
Why does drying take more care here than inland?
The average July dew point is 77°F, which means the outdoor air carries a lot of water. Opening windows adds moisture to a wet room instead of removing it, so the drying is done with dehumidifiers and checked with moisture readings.
Does Corpus Christi get a flood insurance discount?
Yes. The city is in the NFIP Community Rating System at class 8, which gives NFIP policies in the mapped high-risk zone a 10% premium discount. The current flood map has been in effect since 2022.
Who answers when I call?
An independent contractor who covers Corpus Christi. Water Damage Wise is a referral line: it does not send crews, set prices or do any of the work.
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 5-year (Corpus Christi city)
- PRISM Climate Group, 1991-2020 normals (dew point)
- FEMA, NFIP Community Status Book and CRS eligible communities
- FEMA Flood Map Service Center (look up an address)
- FloodSmart, the NFIP consumer site (waiting period, buying a policy)
- National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Hanna (2020)
- National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Harvey (2017)
- FEMA, OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (Nueces County, TX)
- Texas Windstorm Insurance Association, overview and coverage area
- FEMA, National Risk Index (county ratings)
- EPA, Learn About Asbestos (where it is found in homes)