Flash Flood — Bexar, Texas

2002-07-01 · near Countywide, Bexar, Texas

Event narrative

Additional 2 to 3 inch totals fell across Bexar County with isolated totals of up to 6 inches in the north central part of the city of San Antonio. Flash flooding developed very quickly and was countywide in its coverage. Small streams and creeks were also flash flooding. Officials reported more than 230 high water rescues in San Antonio from the night of July 1 through noon on July 2. Damage was reported to numerous roads and bridges across the county. An elderly couple apparently attempted to drive home from a restaurant during the severe flash flooding late Monday evening, despite the pleas of the restaurant patrons. Their bodies were recovered near 0930CST on July 4 in their submerged automobile in Olmos Creek. A young man and his friend were playing near swollen Apache Creek when both were swept into the creek on the afternoon of July 1. The two were rescued and the friend recovered quickly, but the first young man slipped into a coma. He died on July 5 after being removed from life support. The body of a fourth victim was found in a drainage pipe by a city public work crew while cleaning debris on the afternoon of July 2. He had apparently drowned during the evening of July 1 and the body had been swept into the pipe.

Wider weather episode

Additional showers and thunderstorms continued to develop through the afternoon and into the evening of July 1 over the Kendall-Bexar-Comal County area. An additional rainfall of up to 10 inches fell during this period, with the rain continuing through the morning of July 2 over Comal County. This, added to the previous amounts, and in view of soils that were long since saturated, produced widespread flash flooding across the three counties. Damage was now becoming widespread to roads and bridges across the three counties.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 5311543. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.