Insurance in Carrollton, Texas

What the Elm Fork gauge says about flood risk

The Elm Fork of the Trinity River forms Carrollton's western edge, and the National Weather Service gauge near Carrollton reaches minor flood stage at 9 feet. Its May 30, 2015 crest of 13.12 feet trails only 1908, 1942 and 1990 in the gauge's record. Despite emergency releases from Lake Lewisville that year, the city reports minimal flooding outside known flood-prone areas. At 13 feet, the NWS expects most of McInnish Sports Complex to flood and Sandy Lake Road east of the George Bush Turnpike to sit under 1 to 2 feet of water.

Street flooding is a separate problem. Runoff drains through Dudley Branch, Furneaux Creek, Hutton Branch and Indian Creek, and on June 19, 2026, crews made numerous high-water rescues, including at Sherwood Lane and Josey Lane, Hutton Drive at West Belt Line Road, and Mill Road at Lockwood Drive. On July 12, 2025, a westbound train stuck in high water at the Josey and Sherwood crossing blocked Josey Lane.

The city requires new finished floors 2 feet above the 100-year floodplain, where the NFIP minimum is zero. That protects newer buildings, not older homes, and the city's floodplain page warns that homeowners insurance does not cover flood. An NFIP flood policy carries a 30-day wait, so it belongs before spring, not after a river forecast. A car swamped at a flooded crossing is typically a comprehensive claim, if you carry that coverage.

Three-inch hail, I-35E lanes and the CR-3 report

Hail three inches across fell near the George Bush Turnpike and Old Denton Road on June 6, 2018, and a fast-moving EF1 tornado on May 24, 2015 damaged roofs on seven buildings across Dallas, Farmers Branch and Carrollton. Damage like that tests the roof coverage terms on a home and comprehensive on a car.

TxDOT's I-35E Phase 2 is rebuilding 6.39 miles of the interstate from I-635 to the Denton County line, a stretch that crosses Belt Line Road in Carrollton; its October 2026 project list shows the job 90% complete with an early 2027 finish. Carrollton's police no longer fill requests for copies of state-reportable crash reports; the officer's CR-3 report is bought through TxDOT's online purchase system instead. Collision typically covers your own car in a work-zone wreck, and uninsured motorist coverage may apply if the at-fault driver carries none.

Three counties, one river

Carrollton lies in Dallas County, Denton County and Collin County. Irving shares the same Elm Fork, where Valley Ranch relies on a levee, and Lewisville gives its name to the Corps of Engineers lake whose releases shape the river here. Where to look:

• Floodplain Information: FEMA map panels for the city and the floodplain administrator, 972-466-3183.
• Carrollton Citizen Alert: sign-up portal for the city's emergency notifications.
• Elm Fork gauge near Carrollton: live river stage and flood categories.
• TxDOT Crash Report Online Purchase System: where Carrollton crash reports are now sold.

Local risk: the federal disaster record in Carrollton

Since 2000, FEMA has made 16 disaster, emergency or fire-management declarations covering Denton County. By type:

• Hurricanes and coastal storms: 5
• Severe storms (hail, wind, tornadoes): 3
• Wildfires: 3
• Winter and ice storms: 2
• Floods: 1

Most recent major disaster declarations:

• 2024: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding
• 2021: Severe Winter Storms
• 2015: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds And Flooding
• 2007: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding

Severe storms bring hail and wind. Check your home policy's wind and hail deductible (often a percentage of the dwelling limit) and your roof's age, and carry comprehensive coverage on your car.

Wildfire risk makes replacement-cost coverage, adequate dwelling limits and additional living expenses coverage especially important. Keep a home inventory somewhere other than your home.

Not every hurricane declaration here means a storm hit: many were emergency declarations for sheltering evacuees from the coast, or statewide declarations. Carrollton is far from storm surge, but tropical systems moving inland can still bring heavy rain and strong wind. Check your wind and hail deductible and whether you need a separate flood policy, since home policies leave flooding out.

Declarations count how often federal help was declared, not how bad each event was. Statewide declarations (such as the February 2021 winter storm) are counted for every county, and the total includes the two 2020 COVID-19 declarations, which aren’t listed by type. These are Denton County figures; FEMA doesn't publish them by city.

Home insurance in Carrollton

Denton County isn't in TWIA's coastal area, so wind and hail are usually covered by your regular home policy, often with a separate wind and hail deductible. If you can't find coverage at all, the Texas FAIR Plan is the last-resort option.

Flooding isn’t covered by standard home or renters policies anywhere in Texas. With 6 flood or hurricane declarations in Denton County since 2000, it's worth pricing a flood policy even outside a mapped flood zone.

Texas law also sets claim deadlines: your insurer must acknowledge a claim within 15 days and accept or deny it within 15 business days of getting what it needs. See Texas home insurance.

Car insurance in Carrollton

Every Texas driver needs at least 30/60/25 liability coverage. PIP is included and uninsured motorist coverage must be offered unless you reject them in writing. Given the storm and flood history here, comprehensive coverage, which pays for hail and flood damage to your own car, matters more than the minimum suggests. Rates vary by ZIP code within Carrollton. See Texas car insurance.

Medicare in Carrollton

137,815 Denton County residents are eligible for Medicare, and 45.04% of them are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan (CMS, September 2026). Plans are sold by county, so compare what’s available in your ZIP code on the Medicare Plan Finder, and review your coverage during Open Enrollment, October 15 to December 7.

Free, unbiased Medicare counseling for Denton County comes from the North Central Texas AAA (800-272-3921), part of Texas’s HICAP program. See Medicare in Texas.

ZIP codes in Carrollton

75006 · 75007 · 75010 · 75011

Common questions