BEXAR COUNTY, Texas — The rain in south Texas can quickly turn a road into a rushing river. KENS 5 captured the moment two siblings got stuck in the rising flood water and were able to escape.
Around 3:30 p.m. Thursday on the 1700 block of North Graytown Road, Bexar county firefighters responded to two young adults stuck in high water. Their mother, Robin, told KENS 5 Photojournalist Gene de la Cruz that she received their call for help.
“They start screaming and panicking, saying, 'Mom, mom, we are floating!' I’m like, 'Get out of the car, swim over,'" she recalled.
She said she’s relieved her 19-year-old son and daughter did not follow her advice. Instead, they went to the top of their car. Bexar County ESD 12 crew members soon arrived and used a ladder to get them to safety.
“The guys did their job and we got more people out of the water and onto the next one ‘cause this is a normal spot for us out here,” said Lawrence Padalecki Jr., Bexar County ESD 12 assistant chief.
Robin said her kids were working for a delivery service and following a GPS. Her kids told her that they saw that a warning sign for high water but there were no flashing lights or no barricades.
She said law enforcement later found a barrier in the flood water. The assistant chief says the ground is saturated from the several days of rain and the low water crossings will be backed up out in the county.
KENS 5 got an exclusive video showing the rescuing unfold. Take a look:
Heavy rainfall Thursday left drivers facing heavy ponding and flooded areas all across the San Antonio area. As storms moved across south Texas, a Tornado Warning was issued for central McMullen County; that warning expired at 3 p.m. A Flood Advisory issued for parts of Atascosa, Karnes and Wilson counties remains in place through Thursday evening.
The National Weather Service tweeted that the threat for heavy rainfall and flooding is shifting towards the Texas Coast for the rest of Thursday. The possibility for showers and potentially severe storms is expected to continue through the weekend. Weather authorities are reminding Texans not to chance the roads if they look flooded.
SEVERE WEATHER 101
When severe weather threatens the area, it is important to know what risks a storm can bring and what you should do to stay safe.
One of the most important things to know is where you are located on a map, so when a watch or warning is put into place, you can identify if you are at risk. When the National Weather Service puts out warnings, they are county-based and sometimes include cities as well. It is important to know where you live in the county and that you can identify it on a map.
It is also important to know the difference between a watch and a warning. A watch means that conditions are favorable for something to happen, but a warning means that something has developed and it is important to take action.
So, what would cause a thunderstorm to be qualified as a "severe" thunderstorm?
Hail that is one inch large is also considered to be about the size of a quarter.
Another ingredient that would lead to a storm becoming severe is if winds are 58 mph or greater.
Winds at this strength could cause damage to roofs and could even cause trees to be knocked down.
Finally, if a tornado is present inside a thunderstorm it would qualify the storm as becoming severe.
In this instance, a tornado warning would be issued.
A tornado watch can be issued for an area if strong storms are expected, and if the storms bring the risk for tornadoes, but not all storms include the threat for tornadoes. The ingredients in the atmosphere for a tornado to form are not always there when storms are present.
If the area you are in is ever under a tornado warning, it is important to know where you should go inside your home.
Head to the lowest, interior room of your home. The basement would be best, but if you don't have one, head to the first floor of the home and get away from exterior walls, or walls that lead to the outside of the home.
It is also important to stay away from glass. The more walls you can put between you and the outside, the better.
While lightning can be frequent in storms and very dangerous, it does not lead to a storm being qualified as severe.
Remember, when thunder roars, go indoors.
Storms can also lead to flooding. Flooding may not cause a storm to be labeled as being severe, but it is the deadliest kind of weather.
South Texas is known to have major flood events every few years, so it is important to use caution and to always stay out of floodwaters. Remember, turn around, don't drown.
Entering flood water is very dangerous as you can be swept off of your feet and you don't know what could be in the water that could hurt you.
The best thing you can do to be ready for severe weather is know what you will do in the event it strikes where you live.
Make sure your family has a severe weather action plan.
Have a place everyone goes inside your home and keep supplies there, such as food, medication, batteries, and flashlights.