Insurance in Richardson, Texas

Straight-line winds and a tornado's final miles

Early on May 28, 2024, a bow echo drove winds through Richardson that a National Weather Service survey put at up to 90 mph; a sensor at Methodist Richardson measured 83 mph. The worst damage ran from Hillside Avenue southeast to Bowser Road south of Main Street, local officials counted 111 facilities with some damage, and a 70-year-old live oak was uprooted onto a home. The same storm hit Garland, where surveyed winds reached 95 mph.

On October 20, 2019, the EF3 tornado that formed in northwest Dallas began to weaken near Richardson Square, turned north toward the Huffhines Park area with mostly tree damage and winds near 70 mph, and dissipated as it crossed Jupiter Road.

If your policy carries a separate wind and hail deductible set as a percentage, TDI's deductible guide shows it can exceed the repair bill for a damaged roof, so check how yours is written before a storm like 2024's. Trees are a gray area: TDI lists wind or hail damage to trees and shrubs among losses most home policies don't cover, and places fences under other structures coverage. The city's storm debris plan runs in three phases (open the streets, collect curbside vegetative piles, then pick up larger debris); piles go in the front right-of-way, not the alley. See home insurance claims in Texas.

US 75 lane changes and Richardson crash reports

TxDOT is converting the US 75 HOV lanes from I-635 in Dallas County to SH 121 in Collin County into toll-free peak-hour technology lanes, swapping pylons and double white stripes for broken lines so drivers can enter and exit along the way. Once the conversion is finished, the lanes will be open at peak times, southbound mornings and northbound evenings, to carpools, low-emission vehicles and motorcycles, and to solo drivers off-peak. A new merge pattern on a daily commute is a fair prompt to review your collision coverage.

TxDOT's 2025 table counts 1,774 crashes in Richardson, but not every crash gets a state report. Richardson Police file a State Crash Report when anyone is hurt or damage reaches $1,000; copies cost $6 from TxDOT online or at the police Records Unit, which takes no cards and no bills over $20. A minor crash with no injuries gets a call card instead, which is not sent to TxDOT, so the photos and insurance details you collect at the scene can matter more.

The May 16, 2021 rain that forced water rescues on Glenville Drive between East Collins Boulevard and Commerce Drive also flooded ramps at the US 75 and Bush Turnpike interchange near the Plano line, along with roads in parts of Plano.

• Emergency notifications: Richardson's alert system sends tornado warnings to everyone enrolled; severe thunderstorm, winter storm, freeze and flash flood warnings are opt-in.
• Flood help: city engineers can visit a property to evaluate flooding and erosion and explain flood maps and elevation certificates (972-744-4280). Every Richardson property is eligible for NFIP coverage, which starts 30 days after purchase.
• After a storm: the severe weather page lists a 24-hour response line, 972-744-4111, and TDI's help line, 800-252-3439.

Local risk: the federal disaster record in Richardson

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. Richardson 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 Richardson

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 Richardson

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 Richardson. See Texas car insurance.

Medicare in Richardson

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 Richardson

75080 · 75081 · 75082 · 75083 · 75085

Common questions