Flash flood watch issued ahead of weekend storm that could lead to wettest September in S.A. history

By Fares Sabawi, mySanAntonio.com

Published 11:08 am CDT, Thursday, September 13, 2018

Though the chances of a tropical cyclone developing this weekend in the Gulf of Mexico have decreased to 50 percent, the rain expected from the weather system could still break records in San Antonio.

The Alamo City is roughly four inches away from breaking the September rainfall record set in 1946, when 15.78 inches of rain were recorded at the airport.

A flash flood watch will take effect at 7 a.m. Friday and is slated to last through 7 p.m. Saturday for portions of South Central Texas, including San Antonio.

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“It won’t take much (to break the record),” said Paul Yura, National Weather Service meteorologist.

Forecasters are expecting 2-4 inches of rain, with isolated pockets receiving up to 8 inches. Most of the rain is expected to fall in San Antonio’s metropolitan area, the western Hill Country and the Coastal Plains.

Local authorities are urging residents to be careful because the constant rain this month saturated the soil in the region, meaning that even a small amount of rain can lead to flash flooding.

A flood watch has been issued in San Marcos, effective on Friday and Saturday, in anticipation of the rain.

Texas Department of Transportation dispatched several vehicles from Austin on Thursday to the San Antonio area. The vehicles are expected to help in debris removal and potentially some rescue situations.

Yura said there is a silver lining after this weekend’s storms — drier weather and clearer skies next week.