A shelter-in-place alert appears to be in effect across the City of Boerne as of 10:40 a.m. Wednesday, July 15. Residents in Boerne and Fair Oaks Ranch received an emergency alert urging them to seek higher ground and stay off the roads while emergency crews continue working. The alert was issued by the Kendall County Office of Emergency Management.
The Kendall County Office of Emergency Management & Fire Marshal said in a Wednesday morning Facebook post that residents living along Cibolo Creek in the Heart of Boerne, Evergreen, Yolana, and West San Antonio Avenue areas should voluntarily evacuate now or prepare to shelter in place as water levels continue to rise.
Communications and civic engagement director Chris Shadrock said in a video update on Wednesday, July 15 that even areas not typically prone to flooding may see elevated water levels, and the city has not seen similar flood conditions since 2015.
“This is a life-threatening weather event,” he said.
“If you live along any of the creeks in Boerne — No Name, Currey, Cibolo, Frederick, Menger … Ranger Creek, northwest of town — you need to be prepared to evacuate. You need to be prepared to leave.”
Those who chose to evacuate can find shelter at Boerne ISD’s central offices, located at 235 Johns Road, or the Patrick Heath Public Library, located at 451 N Main StBoerne, TX 78006.
A shelter-in-place alert has also been issued for residents of the Ranger Creek Road area, west of Boerne City Lake Park, which is more than 101% full as of Tuesday after heavy rainfall.
Crews have closed River Road in all directions. Ranger Creek continues to rise, and even more rainfall is expected throughout the day.
The emergency management office says conditions can change rapidly, and locals should not wait until roads become impassable. Residents should also avoid leaving the area or crossing flooded roadways or low-water crossings.
A tornado briefly touched down in San Antonio Wednesday morning, and communities across the Texas Hill Country are experiencing significant flooding today. Communities should stay alert, as the National Weather Service warns that “catastrophic flooding” is possible this week.