Brownsville rental hurricane, flood and heat plan: 41% floodplain, one utility

The city says it in its own words. “Brownsville is largely within a Hurricane Risk Zone,” and “extreme rainfall and/or hurricane events are serious concerns throughout the majority of the City”; “approximately 41% of the ETJ area is within the 100-year floodplain,” and “homeowners’ policies do not cover flooding from hurricanes” — residents are told to ask about the National Flood Insurance Program (City of Brownsville — Flood). Its hurricane page asks households to stock food, water and medical supplies for at least ten days and to decide in advance whether to shelter in place or evacuate (Plan for a hurricane). Cameron County is one of the fourteen first-tier coastal counties in the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association’s area (TWIA). And the utility for power, water and sewer is one body, BPUB, whose 24-hour line the tenant must have.

Before June: the three policies and the disclosure

Wind: in a TWIA county the association writes wind and hail when the market will not, subject to a windstorm certificate for the structure (TWIA eligibility); ask a licensed agent whether a private insurer will write the address and what the named-storm deductible is. Flood: an NFIP or private flood policy, because the city’s page is explicit that the homeowners’ policy excludes it. Loss of rents: read the declarations page. Then the disclosure — §92.0135 asks whether the dwelling is in a 100-year floodplain and whether it flooded in the last five years; answer from the FEMA map and records, in the TREC form’s words, and keep a dated screenshot.

The storm sequence, by day

WHO DOES WHAT WHEN A STORM APPROACHES BROWNSVILLE
When	Tenant	Landlord	Source
Hurricane season opens (June 1)	Keeps the sheet by the door; knows the evacuate-or-shelter decision	Photographs roof and exterior with dates; trims trees; confirms cover	City of Brownsville
Watch issued	Fills vehicles, gathers ten days of supplies, secures loose items on the property	Confirms the tenant has the sheet; secures vacant units; checks BPUB and city notices	Plan for a hurricane
Evacuation ordered	Leaves; does not wait for the landlord’s permission	Does not require the tenant to stay or to remove property; records the date	—
During	If sheltering: interior room, away from windows; reports nothing until safe	Nothing; waits for the all-clear	—
After	Photographs damage; reports in writing; does not enter a flooded unit before power is confirmed off	Photographs; opens claims; acknowledges the report in writing — the §92.056 clock has started; BPUB for outages	Property Code §92.056 · BPUB

If the unit is uninhabitable

Property Code §92.054 governs casualty loss. If the premises are “as a practical matter totally unusable for residential purposes” and the tenant was not at fault, either party may terminate by written notice at any time before repairs are completed, and the tenant is entitled to a pro-rata refund of rent from the move-out date and to the deposit; if the premises are only partially unusable, the tenant may seek a rent reduction — through the courts unless the lease provides otherwise; and the repair period for an insured loss does not begin until the landlord receives the insurance proceeds. Decide within days, say so in writing, and refund what the statute requires. A lease clause that keeps full rent running on a flooded house will not survive the statute.

Heat and drought: the other eight months

Cooling is the ordinary emergency in Brownsville — see the Brownsville maintenance guide — and water is the ordinary restriction. BPUB shows Drought Stage 1, voluntary conservation, with the Amistad and Falcon reservoirs at 38.9% and 21.2% of capacity and 30.7% combined U.S. ownership on the IBWC report of September 12, 2026, and lets a tenant check watering days by address (BPUB water conservation). The yard clause follows BPUB’s current stage; the landlord is not responsible for landscaping lost to lawful restrictions.

The sheet by the door

BPUB 24-hour emergency line, (956) 983-6300 — power, water, sewer (BPUB).
The landlord’s emergency number and the water shutoff and breaker locations.
The city’s hurricane and flood pages, and the county’s evacuation route information (City of Brownsville).
The evacuate-or-shelter decision for this address, written down before the season.
A reminder: report damage in writing; photograph before cleaning up.

After the event

Photographs with dates, the tenant’s written report, claim numbers for wind and flood separately, contractor invoices, BPUB restoration notices and the repair-completion note go in one folder. A flood changes the second §92.0135 answer for the next five years; record the date. And if the storm reveals that the property was never in the FEMA zone the disclosure named — or was — correct the file before the next lease.

What changes in Brownsville

The city calls itself largely a hurricane risk zone, with about 41% of its ETJ in the 100-year floodplain.
Wind cover runs through TWIA if the market declines — a certificate is needed.
One utility, BPUB, for every outage; a 24-hour number on the sheet.
A ten-day supply and a written evacuate-or-shelter decision are the city’s own advice.
Drought Stage 1 and reservoir levels are published by BPUB and drive the yard clause.

Frequently asked questions

Is Brownsville in a hurricane zone?

The city states it is “largely within a Hurricane Risk Zone” and that hurricane and extreme-rainfall events are serious concerns across most of the city (City of Brownsville).

Does a homeowners’ policy cover flood in Brownsville?

No — the city’s flood page says homeowners’ policies do not cover flooding from hurricanes and points residents to the NFIP (City of Brownsville).

Can a Brownsville landlord get wind insurance?

Cameron County is in TWIA’s designated area; the association writes wind and hail for eligible structures with a windstorm certificate when the market declines (TWIA).

What happens to rent if a hurricane makes the unit unusable?

Property Code §92.054 applies: if the premises are totally unusable and the tenant is not at fault, either party may terminate by written notice before repairs are completed, with a pro-rata rent refund; a partially unusable unit can lead to a rent reduction; and the repair clock on an insured loss starts when the insurance proceeds arrive (Property Code).

Sources

Rules change and the right answer can depend on the home, the city, the lease and the timing. These are the official pages this guide relies on; check them before signing, charging a fee, sending a notice or making a legal decision.

General information for U.S. landlords, with a Texas focus. This guide is not legal, tax or accounting advice. Consult a qualified professional for your situation. Written by the rentalfreelease.com Editorial Team; last reviewed September 19, 2026.