Rumor has it that upon learning of the approach of Hurricane Harvey, San Antonians descended upon local H-E-B grocery stores and completely depleted their supply of water, beer and tortillas.
Joking aside, the National Hurricane Center has warned that those in the storm’s path should not underestimate the severity of the situation. The National Weather Service is predicting that San Antonio may be hit with 6 to 12 inches of rain on Saturday and Sunday. A flash flood warning for Bexar County went into effect on Friday morning. The San Antonio region in also under a tropical storm warning.
The City of San Antonio’s Office of Emergency Management has activated the Emergency Operations Center in preparation for the inclement weather conditions.
Residents are encouraged to prepare their households for heavy rain and flooding by having enough water and food for at least three days, medications and an evacuation plan. Make sure your cell phone is charged in case of a power outage.
Before heading out of the house, residents should check with city and county websites in order to get the latest information on road closures.
Driving through flooded roadways not only puts your life at risk and anyone in your vehicle, but also the lives of first responders. Driving around a barricade when there is water on the road carries a maximum penalty of $2,000 and 180 days in jail and if a rescue is required, everyone in the vehicle may be charged a fee of $640.00.
Following are links to communications channels for the city and county:
- Official Facebook Page – City of San Antonio
- Official Twitter Page – City of San Antonio
- Official Facebook Page – Bexar County
- Official Twitter Page – Bexar County
- Ready South Texas App
Download the app to receive instant access to evacuation maps, safe routes, shelter information, create a personalized emergency plan and receive official alerts at this link.
To keep up to date on the latest weather information, check out the National Weather Service website at this link.
