San Antonio River could flood – here’s what it means

Heavy rains pummeled San Antonio Monday morning as a the tail end of a cold front from the north met spinoffs from a tropical storm out of the Pacific Ocean. Floods ravaged major roads and highways and led to 20 high water rescues across the city. But the rains have not stopped failing, and a national agency is now warning of flooding in several San Antonio rivers.

With more heavy rain in the forecast for southern Bexar County, including pockets of San Antonio, there’s a threat of several inches of rainfall before Tuesday morning. As a result, water levels are expected to skyrocket in the San Antonio River south of the city in the coming hours.

The National Water Prediction Service estimates the San Antonio River near Elmendorf, about 20 miles southeast of the city center, will surpass 38 feet – the threshold for minor flooding. Just as the clock strikes midnight in the very early hours of Tuesday, June 16, San Antonio River water levels in this are expected to approach minor flood levels (35 feet).

“Minor lowland flooding inundates crops and pastureland below San Antonio to below Floresville,” the federal agency says of water levels that reach 35 feet.

At 39 feet, the National Water Prediction Service says, “moderate lowland flooding damages crops and floods pastureland below San Antonio to below Floresville. Secondary roads and low bridges, irrigation pumps, oil filed pump jacks and tank batteries flood. Livestock are cut off in low areas.”

Between 10:30 a.m., when water levels were at 11.3 feet, and 2:30 p.m., the river rose more than 16 feet, climbing to a whopping 27.7 feet – a shocking 145% increase in just four hours. But that meteoric rise isn’t over yet.

It’s a similar story further south toward Floresville where water levels are expected to hit minor flood levels and approach moderate levels. Forecast to reach nearly 31 feet by 1 a.m. Tuesday morning – a staggering 26-foot climb in a 12 hour period – lower areas of Floresville City Park may see floodwaters, and water levels may climb to the point of making some roads impassable.

The National Water Prediction Center is expecting water levels at Leon Creek near I-35 South, on the Southwest Side of San Antonio, to climb to just over 16 feet by 5 p.m. Monday. A nearly 14-foot spike in levels in 12 hours puts the creek in moderate flooding risk, meaning water could enter a nearby park.

“[At 16 feet], Camargo Park near Nelson Wolff Stadium will being to see water entering the park in areas that are close to the creek,” the forecasting agency reports. “Primary and secondary roads and bridges will begin to see flooding above Kelly USA to below I-35. Flow approaches horse barns and homes below Kelly USA.”

Just a bit further south in San Antonio, directly south of the city center, Medina River near U.S. 281 South is expected to climb up to 23.3 feet by 1 a.m. Tuesday morning after measuring at roughly 7 feet 12 hours earlier. This puts water levels just shy of moderate flooding and could mean lowland flooding of roads and bridges.

The National Water Prediction Center says water levels at 20 feet post a risk of lowland flooding which reaches the Farm to Market 1937 bridge floor. But at 24 feet, that same river could cause moderate lowland flooding on road and bridges, making them dangerous to traffic.