Insurance in Garland, Texas

Two tornadoes in four years shaped Garland's storm file

On December 26, 2015, an EF4 tornado tracked about 13 miles from Sunnyvale to Lake Ray Hubbard in 17 minutes. NWS Fort Worth ranks it the deadliest December tornado on record in Dallas County: 10 people died along its path, 9 of them in vehicles where it crossed Interstate 30 at the President George Bush Turnpike in Garland, and one in Rowlett. On October 20, 2019, an EF2 tornado ran about 2.5 miles across Garland, from Kenmore Street north of West Miller Road over Shiloh Road and Garland Avenue to near Avenue D and Santa Fe Street, peeling shingles and roof decking off homes.

A tornado claim on a house runs through the wind peril of the homeowners policy, so the wind and hail deductible typically applies in December just as it does in May. For a car, wind, flying debris and hail fall under comprehensive, not collision. Garland's outdoor sirens can sound for imminent hail of 1.75 inches, not only for tornadoes, and hail up to about 2.5 inches was reported in northern Garland on September 24, 2023.

Duck Creek and the rebuilt LBJ corridor

FEMA's flood maps show about 4,200 acres of 100-year floodplain in Garland, mostly along Duck Creek, Rowlett Creek, Spring Creek and their tributaries. A late-1990s channel widening cut Duck Creek's flood risk for hundreds of properties in central and southern Garland, but flash flooding along it still happens. On May 29, 2015, police reported cars swept from driveways near Duck Creek at Glenbrook and Carroll Drives. On August 31, 2025, they closed Northwest Highway at LBJ under 2 to 3 feet of water. A car carried off by floodwater is typically a comprehensive claim, if you carry that coverage; the house needs its own flood policy, and an NFIP policy generally takes effect 30 days after purchase.

State and local leaders marked the ceremonial end of TxDOT's I-635 East project in September 2026. It rebuilt 11 miles of LBJ Freeway between US 75 and I-30 with widened lanes and new continuous frontage roads, though TxDOT's October 2026 list still shows final work, at 97%, running into late 2026. After a crash, Garland police say accident reports are available within ten business days, and the officer's CR-3 report can also be bought through TxDOT's online system, which helps document a car accident claim.

Neighbors and city offices worth bookmarking

Garland sits in Dallas County. Mesquite and Dallas share the same rebuilt I-635 corridor. Useful city pages:

• Floodplain & Drainage: FEMA map links and copies of many past elevation certificates, available on request.
• Garland Emergency Notification System: tornado warnings by phone, text or email, with opt-in flood and severe thunderstorm alerts.
• Re-roofing permits: required for roof repairs of $2,000 or more or a change of material; the roofer must register as a general contractor, and the city asks for the signed contract or the insurance adjuster's scope.
• Police open records: the Records Division at 1891 Forest Lane takes written and online report requests.

Local risk: the federal disaster record in Garland

Since 2000, FEMA has made 17 disaster, emergency or fire-management declarations covering Dallas County. By type:

• Hurricanes and coastal storms: 8
• Severe storms (hail, wind, tornadoes): 2
• Wildfires: 2
• 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
• 2017: Hurricane Harvey
• 2015: Severe Winter Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, 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. Garland 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 Dallas County figures; FEMA doesn't publish them by city.

Home insurance in Garland

Dallas 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 9 flood or hurricane declarations in Dallas 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 Garland

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 Garland. See Texas car insurance.

Medicare in Garland

365,531 Dallas County residents are eligible for Medicare, and 54.97% 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 Dallas County comes from the Dallas County AAA (214-871-5065), part of Texas’s HICAP program. See Medicare in Texas.

ZIP codes in Garland

75040 · 75041 · 75042 · 75043 · 75044 · 75045 · 75046 · 75047 · 75049

Common questions