SAN ANTONIO — Following a deadly flood season last summer, San Antonio area leaders are working to improve the warning signs for this summer.
The San Antonio River Authority is working with $21 million approved by the Bexar County Commissioners Court to install and repair flood warning technology. The investment in safety upgrades was approved after a flash flood in San Antonio killed 13 people last June.
“It was a reminder of where we’re placed and the vulnerabilities that we have,” Yasmin Ramones, with the River Authority, said.
Currently, sensors at low-water crossings function individually and only trigger alerts after water has reached them. Officials are currently upgrading them with NextGen technology, which will connect all the nearly 200 sensors throughout the city. With the new technology, sensors will close roads before high water comes in. The River Authority expects to finish the upgrades by the end of 2027.
In the meantime, Bexar County is also working with the state to install flood sirens, and with the River Authority, it’s working on an outreach campaign called “Floods Don’t Care.”
“They don’t care what’s the size of your truck or where you live,” Ramones said. “If you’re not careful, you’re going to be impacted.”