At least 11 people are confirmed dead in late-spring flooding in San Antonio, and search efforts are still underway for an undetermined number, city officials said Friday.
Flooding slammed the city early Thursday after thunderstorms churned out by an upper-level trough swept east through Texas and produced two confirmed tornadoes, the National Weather Service said.
Earlier statements on those believed to be missing indicate the number is roughly three after the confirmation of 11 dead.
“Several individuals remain unaccounted for,” the San Antonio Fire Department said in a statement Friday afternoon.
A search effort that includes help from the San Antonio Police Department and Texas A&M Task Force 1, one of 28 national search and rescue teams organized under the Federal Emergency Management Agency, is focusing on areas of Salado Creek, near Perrin Beitel Road, and Leon Creek, the fire department said.
“These teams are conducting detailed ground searches across creek beds, low-water crossings, and debris fields,” it said.
On Thursday, the weather service reported that 15 vehicles had been swept into rapidly rising waters on or near Perrin Beitel Road, where as much as 8 inches of rain had fallen roughly between midnight and 4 a.m.
Ten people had been rescued and two others had walked away on their own, the weather service said in its 4:15 a.m. report. Fire officials said those rescued were pulled from trees, and at least one body was found a mile from Perrin Beitel Road’s creek crossing.
Additionally, the city said Friday, more than 70 water rescues had been performed since early Thursday.
Angela Richards lives near the flooding and said her husband of 15 years, Stevie Richards, 42, was driving to work early Thursday when he called to say his car stalled is rising waters and had started to float.
“I could hear whatever the car hit and then the water taking over the car,” she said. “And that’s the last I heard.”
San Antonio Police Chief William McManus indicated waves of rain-swollen creek water rushed roadways with little time to flee. Imagery of the aftermath showed vehicles submerged, some belly up.
“These are low-water crossings that the depth of the water and the speed at which it’s traveling are very, very hard to gauge,” he said.
The weather service confirmed two tornadoes touched down in Hays County, Texas, shortly after 1 a.m. Thursday during the extremely unstable weather.
The vortexes near Wimberly, a small ranching city roughly halfway between San Antonio and Austin, spun out winds between 65 and 85 mph, each measuring EF0 on the 1 to 5 scale of tornado strength, and produced tree damage and minor structural damage, the weather service said.
The storm system appeared to damage 15 of the city’s 141 low-water crossings, and 18 roadways remained closed Friday due to flooding, debris or surface damage, the city said in a statement.
Mayor Ron Nirenberg said he and his wife, Erika Prosper, are anguished over the loss of life and were hoping anyone missing is found safe.
“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,” he said in the city’s statement. “Erika and I will be praying that those who are missing are found without harm.”
Friday’s forecast for the area included possible isolated thundershowers and a high temperature of 107.
Flood warnings remained for parts of the San Antonio River and Cibolo Creek south of the city through at least late Saturday morning, the weather service said.
“Floodwaters from heavy rains earlier this week continue to move downstream,” it said in a current hazards statement. “The San Antonio River and Cibolo Creek are forecast to swell above their banks this weekend.”
