Hazard Vulnerability Analysis

The City of Carrollton faces both natural and technological hazards that require identification and planning to ensure maximum preparedness. The Hazard Vulnerability Analysis (HVA) is a tool the City uses to understand the specific hazards facing our citizens and businesses and to identify the areas and facilities at potential risk. Preparedness and planning actions will then address these potential threats.

This analysis is meant to be a starting point in identifying the natural and technological hazards faced by the City. Datasets are updated as new information is received to ensure our analysis remains current with changing conditions and turnover in facility occupancies. The results of the analysis will be used to develop mitigation, preparedness and response actions.

The City of Carrollton faces numerous hazards on a daily basis. For the purpose of this analysis, hazards have been broken down into two primary groups: natural and technological. Natural hazards consist of severe weather events such as: strong thunderstorms; high winds; large hail; flooding; and tornadoes. Of these hazards, flooding is most closely linked with the City’s topography (based on proximity to low lying and flood prone areas).

Technological hazards in Carrollton are primarily due to the presence of hazardous materials. These materials are separated into one of two groups: 1) Materials that are transported over roadways and railways as well as products transported by pipeline; and 2) Materials found at fixed locations. Carrollton also has several dams and levees that present a technological generated flood threat. This analysis examines the natural and/or technological hazards that are quantifiable and geo-physically linked to certain areas of the City. With regard to hazardous materials, this includes fixed sites in the City that are required to report Tier II Chemical Inventory Storage information under Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) Title III.

In order to assess the impact of the various hazards on the City’s critical infrastructure and vulnerable facilities identified to be in close proximity; the critical facilities have been identified, mapped, and then correlated with the impact of each identified hazard. This identified the potential threat each facility is exposed to.

The information provided in this document will be used to help identify facilities that may potentially be affected to create emergency plans and to ensure the City is ready to respond to these potential hazards.

The City of Carrollton is located in the northwestern corner of Dallas County, the Southeastern part of Denton County, and the extreme Southwestern Corner of Collin County in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. The City is located within the Elm Fork of the Trinity drainage basin, immediately downstream of Lake Lewisville dam. The City comprises a total of 37 square miles ( 2010 US Census Bureau QuickFacts: Carrollton, Texas ).

The City of Carrollton is located in the heart of the Dallas-Fort Worth area and is a vibrant corporate and residential community. Carrollton's location and business cost advantages attract and support a diverse local economy. Numerous assets such as excellent schools, parks and greenbelts, and convenient services are available to every neighborhood. The wide variety of housing, community partnerships and civic opportunities enhance Carrollton's diversity, and residents enjoy the award-winning sports complexes, libraries, natural areas, golf courses, lifestyle amenities and community events.

Since 1990, Carrollton’s population has increased by 67% from 83,197 in 1990 to 139,248 in 2020. Carrollton's population is only increasing as the NCTCOG Regional Data Center forecasts the population to increase to 152,830 by 2045. According to the 2020 Demographic Profile Data from the U.S. Census Bureau, Carrollton is a community of young people, with 88.5% of the population under the age of 5 and the median age being 37 ( City of Carrollton, Economic Development Department) 

The City of Carrollton is a Home Rule municipality with a council-manager form of government.  The City Council is made up of a mayor and seven councilmembers.  All members of the Council are elected at-large and serve three-year staggered terms. They are community volunteers who meet in regular meetings twice a month. The role of the Mayor and City Council is to enact local legislation, provide vision for the future of Carrollton, set policy, and hire a City Manager.

The City of Carrollton has a large and diversified economic base, creating stability through all economic cycles. The City is also home to a large number of small business enterprises resulting in an entrepreneurial community. With a current work force of over  85,464 , Carrollton's employers can draw upon a regional labor force of over 3 million workers ( City of Carrollton Economic Development Department ). More than  40%  of the adult population has had post-secondary education or higher, offering employers some of the highest skilled workers in the North Texas area. 

Over 9,000 businesses call Carrollton home. Manufacturing, construction trades and wholesale trades are some of the largest economic sectors as well as finance, insurance and real estate. Some of the largest employers are the Carrollton/Farmers Branch Independent School District, Halliburton Energy Services, McKesson Corp, Thomson Reuters – RIA, Western Extrusions, Securus Technologies, Rudy's Tortillas, General Aluminum Corporation, and Hilton Reservations Worldwide.

Interstate Highway 35E (Stemmons Freeway) intersects the City of Carrollton and is a major north-south route linking Canada, Mexico and the United States. An excellent highway system in Dallas-Fort Worth includes three north-south interstates (IH-35E, IH-35W and IH-45), and two east-west interstates (IH-20 and IH-30). The President George Bush Turnpike, a six-lane toll highway, bisects the City of Carrollton and provides an additional east-west thoroughfare through far north Dallas ( City of Carrollton Economic Development Department ). 

Carrollton is served by four major railroads: Dallas, Garland, Northeastern (DG&NO), Fort Worth & Western (FW&W), Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) and the Kansas City Southern (KCS). Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) services Dallas and 12 surrounding cities with modern public transit services and customer facilities. In December 2010 three DART stations opened in Carrollton: Downtown Carrollton Station, Trinity Mills Station and the North Carrollton/Frankford Station ( City of Carrollton Economic Development Department ).

The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest trucking center in the southwest United States, served by approximately 150 regular route common carriers. Over 40 major freight lines offer direct service to all points in the US ( City of Carrollton Economic Development Department ).

A recent informal estimation by the City planning department indicates that the City of Carrollton is approximately 95% built out on available non flood plain/hazard land. Future land use planning is indicated by the Future Land Use Layer of the interactive HVA map.

Carrollton collaborated with Dallas County in the creation of a County Hazard Mitigation Action Plan of which Carrollton is a part. The Plan received official FEMA approval in July 2020.This plan identifies the natural hazards that affect Carrollton and the greater Dallas County Area.

For the purpose of this study, the following infrastructure and at-risk facilities have been located within the City and correlated with the results of the Risk Assessment described below.

• Religious Institutions
• Public Schools
• Private Schools
• Multi-Family Apartments and Condominimum Communities
• Senior Living Communities (Non-assisted Living Retirement Communities)
• Functional Need Support Facilities
  • Assisted Living Facilities
  • Group Homes
  • Memory Care Facilities
  • Nursing Homes
• Medical Facilities
  • Hospitals (General Care and Psychiatric)
  • Urgent Care Clinics
• Locations of MRI Machines
• Government Facilities
  • Local
  • State
  • Federal

The following method was employed to determine areas of impact within the City for the identified natural and technological hazards.

• Layer Widget
  • Use Layer List button to turn off and on layers as needed.

• Pop Out Tool
  • Allows you to open the map application in another tab to have full view of the content.