SAN ANTONIO – Storms this week brought bright lightning, booming thunder, and for some, hail the size of golf balls. However, for most of us in San Antonio, the big story was the heavy rain that caused flooding, especially in some well-known problem spots.
One of those spots is the lower levels of I-35 downtown, which had to be closed during Thursday’s and this weekend’s storms.
KSAT viewer Emanuel Valero submitted a dramatic video of his car pushing another stalled car through deep water on that section of I-35 around 1 a.m. Sunday.
“On the lower level of (I-)35, we do have pump stations that help to drain the water. Unfortunately, the amount of rain caused some problems with our pump stations,” said Laura Lopez with the Texas Department of Transportation.
TxDOT pump station (CREDIT: TxDOT)
Lopez said the typical problem is debris that clogs up the pipes.
“We routinely clean those out, especially if we know we’re having a heavy rain event. We want to make sure we have those cleared for the amount of rain we have projected,” she said.
They also have crews ready to manually pump the water off the road if there are issues. KSAT obtained video Sunday of them doing just that.
However, this past week it was more than clogged pipes that caused so much flooding to I-35.
“We did have some mechanical issues that we found Thursday night when we had that heavy rain,” Lopez said.
TXDOT is working to fix that issue, knowing there’s more rain on the way this week.
TxDOT pump station (Credit: TxDOT)
The City of San Antonio has a different pump station than TXDOT. The Public Works Department has identified 144 Low Water Crossings that will drain naturally following a storm event.
Every Low Water Crossing has signs that advise to “Watch for Water on Road,” along with a vertical flood gauge indicating the depth of the water. Most of the Low Water Crossings have flashing lights that come on automatically when water over the roadway is detected.
Low Water Crossings that tend to be prone to high water flooding have an identified “Safe Route” and can be found on the city’s Flood Emergency website.
When asked Monday about any improvement projects being done to low water crossings, the city said, “The Public Works Department is continuously improving these Low Water Crossings as funding becomes available.”
They reported some Low Water Crossings have received or are scheduled to receive various improvements, including the following:
In addition, the city said the 2022 Bond Program – Drainage & Flood Control Proposition authorized improvements to several Low Water Crossings, which are scheduled to be complete by 2027.
Meanwhile, with the current showing more rain this week, TXDOT and the City of San Antonio are reminding drivers not to go through a flooded or barricaded street.
You’re risking your life but also could face a hefty fine.
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