Bexar County under a Severe Thunderstorm Warning; Tornado Warning expires for Kendall, Kerr Counties

SAN ANTONIO — A Severe Thunderstorm Warning for Kerr and northwest Bexar County, including Helotes, Leon Valley, and Kerrville, is in effect until 9:15 p.m. after the Tornado Warning for Kendall and Kerr Counties has expired.

A Severe Thunderstorm Warning for Bexar County, including San Antonio, Schertz, and Universal City is in effect until 9:15 p.m.

The National Weather Service says wind gusts of 60 mph and ping-pong sized hail are possible. Flash flooding will be a concern as well due to the heavy amounts of rain in the area over the last several days. Quarter-sized hail has been reported in the Boerne area.

Edwards County is also under a Severe Thunderstorm Warning until 8:30 p.m.

A Tornado Warning was in place for portions of Gillespie, Kendall and Kerr counties until 7:30 p.m. That warning has now expired. 80 mph wind gusts were reported in the Fredericksburg area. Quarter-sized hail was reported in the area in connection to the storm.

Fredericksburg, Harper, and Morris Ranch are now under a Flash Flood Warning until 10:15 p.m. If you see water covering roadways, turn around – don’t drown!

Meanwhile, a Severe Thunderstorm Watch issued by the National Weather Service Wednesday includes Bexar and surrounding counties through 12 am. Large hail and damaging wind gusts up to 80 mph possible. An isolated tornado or two cannot be ruled out for the affected area tonight.

NWS has added Bexar County into the area of enhanced risk of severe storms Wednesday evening. Large hail and high winds are the main threats in the area.

This is a developing weather event. Refresh the page for the latest updates.

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.

Weather Minds Classroom: Take a class in Severe Weather 101

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