SAN ANTONIO – Water up to your windows in an SUV; it’s the situation one KSAT viewer found himself in yesterday morning near the McNay Art Museum during a flash flooding incident.
On Tuesday morning, several vehicles were stranded on area highways as thunderstorms rolled through San Antonio.
This was after some areas of our viewing area received more than 6.5 inches of rain.
The San Antonio Fire Department responded to 20 high-water rescue calls. Fortunately, no one was seriously hurt, and most were able to get to safety before crews arrived.
Joe Arrington with the San Antonio Fire Department said the key is not getting into those situations in the first place because you are putting your life in danger, and the crews are rescuing you.
“First and foremost, don’t drive through high water,” Arrington said. “If it looks questionable, it is. Turn around. Don’t drown. You know we hammer that message all the time, but there’s nothing more important than that than that message.”
However, it can happen with flash flooding in flood-prone areas yesterday.
Here are the steps you need to take:
- If you find yourself in high water in your car, first, you need to get out of your car immediately.
- If you can open your doors, do so and get to safety.
- If you can’t open your doors, open your windows and get to higher ground.
- Worst case scenario open your windows and climb on top of your car.
- Lastly, call 911. Get yourself to safety, then call. Most likely, others are already calling for you.
“We always encourage you (to) roll your windows down and get on top of your car,” Arrington said. “That makes you on a higher point, obviously, and we can see you easier and know that we need to come and get you out of that bad situation.”
And most importantly, save yourself, not your car.
“If your car gets flooded, it’s most likely going to be irreparable damage,” Arrington said. “It’s going to be totaled. But the key is (to) get out of there. Get yourself to safety. You’re the. You are the one that your loved ones are going to miss the most. Nobody’s gonna miss your car but you.”