At least 11 people have been killed and several others remain missing after torrential rains triggered flash flooding across San Antonio this week, inundating roads, sweeping away vehicles, and prompting dozens of water rescues, officials said.
A powerful storm system moved through the area early Thursday, dumping eight inches of rain between midnight and 4 a.m. and spawning two confirmed tornadoes in neighboring Hays County, the National Weather Service reported.
San Antonio Fire Department spokesperson Joe Arrington said more than 70 rescues had been made by Friday, which included people being pulled from trees, bushes, and submerged vehicles. As of Friday evening, the number of people still unaccounted for remained unclear.
“These are low-water crossings that are very difficult to gauge in terms of depth and speed,” San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said. “The water rose rapidly and left very little time for escape.”
Among the missing is 42-year-old Stevie Richards, who was driving to work early Thursday when his vehicle stalled in rising floodwaters.
His wife, Angela Richards, told reporters she was on the phone with him when the car began to float.
“As I was talking to him, he said, ‘Oh, the car’s floating’… It wasn’t even a whole minute later that I could hear it hitting up against something, him screaming and cussing, and I could hear the water take the phone. It happened really, really fast,” she told the San Antonio Express-News.
“And that’s the last I heard.”
The Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office said the 11 killed range in age from 28 to 55 years old. Bodies were recovered both in and beyond the flood zones, officials said.
Mayor Ron Nirenberg and his wife expressed condolences, calling the loss “agonizing” and offering prayers for those still missing.
“Our hearts are with the families of those we’ve lost to this week’s flash floods and the families who continue searching for their loved ones,” Nirenberg said in a statement. “Erika and I will be praying that those who are missing are found without harm.”
The National Weather Service confirmed two EF0 tornadoes touched down in Hays County early Thursday, bringing winds between 65 and 85 mph and causing minor structural and tree damage near Wimberley, about an hour northeast of San Antonio.
City officials said 18 roads remained closed Friday due to damage or lingering floodwaters. At least 15 of the city’s 141 low-water crossings were damaged.
Flood warnings remain in effect for areas south of the city, where the San Antonio River and Cibolo Creek are forecast to rise above their banks through Saturday.
The weather service warned that floodwaters from earlier in the week are still flowing downstream, posing continued risk to affected communities.
