Severe weather in San Antonio brought “one of those live TV moments that you can’t plan for” to one Alamo City TV station.
During News 4 WOAI’s morning newscast on Friday, May 1, the power unexpectedly shut off — while anchors David Chancellor, Mariza Mendoza and meteorologist Jeannette Calle were discussing the storms. They weren’t alone, as thousands of CPS Energy customers have been without power throughout the day.
“That weather has not stopped,” Mendoza said from behind the desk in a video Chancellor posted to Instagram. “I woke up, I heard the rain, and it hasn’t really stopped since then.” While Calle was jumping in to add that the rain got going after midnight and progressed with a heavy batch around 1:30 a.m., the lights behind the trio began to flicker. Then, it was almost pitch black for a few seconds before the station’s generators kicked in. During those few seconds, the three anchors looked around in surprise.
Chancellor described the moment in a text to MySA, calling it “one of those live TV moments that you can’t plan for.”
“It was definitely a first time for me. I realize we are lucky – our power was off for a matter of seconds – but we are lucky enough to have a generator. We realize thousands [of families] in [San Antonio] aren’t as lucky,” he said. Continuing, Chancellor wrote that they’re “grateful for the crews working to restore power this morning. And we are hoping everyone is safe tonight if we get a round 2 of storms.”
San Antonio is under a flood watch until 9 p.m. on May 1, according to the National Weather Service’s local Austin/San Antonio office. Residents can expect “multiple rounds of showers and storms, with heavy rainfall,” in some cases with the potential for “life-threatening flash flooding of creeks, streams, urban areas, and other poor drainage areas.” The NWS advises those in the area to have multiple ways to receive weather alerts and to stay cautious of roadways, especially at night and in low water crossings.