Hello Dolly!

On Wednesday Hurricane Dolly came ashore at South Padre Island about 3-4 hours south of Rockport. Rockport received about 3" of much needed rain and minimal wind. There is no apparent damage and no one was more than slightly inconvenienced by the storm system.

This is a typical weather pattern that we see here in tropical Texas starting most years in July. Most often this time of year we see tropical weather moving up from the Gulf of Mexico. Most of the time it is not a hurricane but rather a tropical wave or tropical depression. Since summer is normally dry, the rain is welcome and needed. However, sometimes Mother Nature can just go overboard, particularly if the weather system is slow moving. Yesterday we only had 3" of rain, but even a tropical wave can often drop 8"-10" of rain or even more.

Prudent homeowners carry flood insurance to protect themselves in case of damage from rising water. Most claims for flood insurance are due to rain events rather than the more dramatic and news worthy hurricanes. When you are buying property on the coast, talk to me about flood insurance. I will give you the names of several insurance professionals who will give you all the scoop to make an informed decision. (In fact, call your insurance agent at home today! No matter where you live flood insurance is a good idea and very affordable.)