2013 TEXAS FLASH FLOOD DEATHS
May 25, 2013 – Heavy rain across the City of San Antonio produced flash flooding which resulted in three deaths, two of which were vehicle related. See accounts of these tragic deaths below:
Accounts from News articles appearing in City of San Antonio Express News and local TV Channel 4:
“It was about 7:45 a.m. Saturday when witnesses called to report a woman's car had been swept away in the 400 block of West Rhapsody Drive. Police said the 29-year-old had attempted to climb out of her car but was pulled downstream by the fast-moving water. Her body was found pinned against a fence downstream, in the 200 block of West Nakoma Drive.” The victim has been identified as Lisuli Aguirre, a 30-year old female. See two pictures below.
“Also in San Antonio, around 6:45 p.m., waters receded in Leon Creek, allowing emergency officials to recover the body of an 81-year-old woman who'd been swept away in her car earlier in the day while firefighters were trying to save her. The vehicle was headed west on access road of 5800 block if Highway 90 when it encountered floodwaters. During the rescue effort earlier, one firefighter was on top of her car and another was in a rescue boat; they had broken a window to free her when the current shifted and the car rolled over, throwing the firefighters into the water. By the time they got back into the boat, the car had already flowed downstream. The woman's body was still trapped in her car”. The victim was later identified as Berta Muniz, an 81-year old female.
“A call came in around 4:30 p.m. reporting boy had attempted to cross Cibolo Creek from the Universal City side over to the Schertz side. Fire and police officials from both cities are in the swollen creek now searching for him. Others are combing the banks for signs of him. Harris said the area where the young man attempted to cross was a few hundred yards away from the Aviation Avenue low-water crossing, which was closed by authorities earlier Saturday morning because of flooding and safety concerns.” The victim, 18 –year old male Avron Adams was found downstream in the receding floodwaters of Cibolo Creek below the intersection of FM 1518 and Windy Meadows Drive. Note: no vehicle was involved in this tragic incident, it is unclear if the victim tried to wade or swim across the flooded creek along with some friends.
Car lodged under bridge in the 400 Block of West Rhapsody Drive, San Antonio, Texas
Close-up of car lodged under bridge. One fatality, 30-year old female
Search efforts underway to located missing teenager in flooded Cibolo Creek
Resulted in recovery of one body – an 18-year old male
Aerial view of a full Olmos Dam. Obivous that this flood control structure helped prevent major downstreat damage in the heart of San Antonio
City of San Antonio VIA bus swept into floodwaters.
No fatalities from this event.
Floodwaters discharging from flood tunnel under downtown City of San Antonio
Many roads flooded across the City of San Antonio
Turn Around Don’t Drown ruled the day!
October 14-15, 2013 – Heavy rain pounded the Austin area with over 12 inches of rain reported in the Sunset Valley area, resultng in extremely rapid runoff and devastating flash flooding. Numerous homes were flooded and numerous swift water rescues prevented a number of fatalities, but sadly, one person did perish in the flooding. A body of a man, possibly in his mid-40’s was found floating in debris cluttered floodwaters of Williamson Creek. As of this writing, no identification has been made and police speculate that he is a homeless person since no reports of missing persons have been filed. The following is an excert from local news media:
Body found in South Austin creek
AUSTIN - A man's body was found in a South Austin creek after waters receded Tuesday evening. Austin police received the call shortly after 6 p.m. The body was found in Williamson Creek in the 300 block of Heartwood Drive, near South 1st Street.
Police detectives, who were on the scene Tuesday night, did not know how the body got there. Officers said they do not consider the death suspicious and don't believe foul play was involved. Police said a homeowner spotted the body around 6 p.m. in the 300-block of Heartwood drive at the edge of a creek that eventually becomes Onion Creek as it winds its way south.
The scene is about half way between South First Street and South Congress Avenue, south of West St. Elmo Road. Police said it appears the body had been submerged in flood waters in the creek and became visible as the water receded.
Police have not made any identification of the man other than to say he appears to have been in his mid-40s. His body was caught up in the recent flooding and was discovered along an area where water had receded.”
October 29-30, 2013 – Heavy rain again pounded areas that were hard hit by flooding in early October. Especially hard hit was the Onion Creek watershed in Travis and Hays Counties along with many area creeks and streams stretching from north of Austin moving south along IH-35 to the San Antonio area. Numerous flash flood warnings were issued for Travis, Hays, Comal and Caldwell Counties as rapid runoff occurred from rainfall amounts approaching 16 inches around the Wimberley area (Hays County). Onion Creek in Travis County reached its highest flood peak of record and numerous neighborhoods along the creek experienced major flooding. Numerous swift water rescues and actions by local emergency management responders who barricaded flooded roads and low water crossings resulted in the saving of numerous lives.
The first reported flood fatality:
However, as floodwaters began to flow down the watersheds, reports of missing persons came in and then sadly as floodwaters began to recede, bodies were discovered in several different locations. The first body found was identified as the Reverend Edward Jackson. According to his obituary, Jackson was a 72-year-old Baptist minister and retired U.S. Air Force Airman.
Jackson’s body was found Thursday afternoon along the banks of Onion Creek in Southeast Austin. That area of the city was among the hardest hit areas in the region. The following is the first news media report of the discovery:
“Man’s body pulled from Onion Creek”
A man’s body was found pulled from Onion Creek Thursday afternoon, according to police. The man, estimated to be in his 50s or 60s, was found in the 6900 block of Onion Crossing Drive
near South Pleasant Valley Road, police said. A family member of a nearby resident reported a pile of debris and mud about 3:20 p.m. and when police arrived, they discovered it was a body. Nearby residents didn’t recognized the man, police said. Police said that the body was swept downstream from another location. The department is working with the Travis County medical examiner’s office to identify the body and notify relatives.
The second reported flood fatality was that of a man who drowned after his vehicle was swept off a flooded low water crossing in Caldwell County near Dale. The victim was later identified as a school teacher in the Smithville ISD. He had left home in the early morning hours and was on his way to Smithville when he encountered floodwaters over a low water crossing. Below are two news media stories on this death:
“One dead in Caldwell County flooding
One person was killed this morning during flooding due to heavy rains near Dale, the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office said.
A man died after his vehicle entered a low water crossing near FM 20 and Track Road near the Bastrop County line. The man was swept out of his vehicle and his body was recovered by emergency personnel a short while later.
The identity of the deceased is being withheld pending notification of next of kin. Caldwell County was hit with 6-12 inches of rain in parts of the county on Thursday morning.”
“Flood Victim Identified as Smithville School Teacher”
CALDWELL COUNTY, Texas - A Smithville Junior High school teacher died when his car slid from the road and into high water, the district said Friday.
Tracy Ward, 51, was driving from his home in Lockhart on FM 20 in Caldwell County when his vehicle left the roadway and entered a ditch, Texas Department of Public Safety officials said. Ward attempted to exit his vehicle and was swept away by the current.
He was in his first year at the school and served as a special education teacher, Smithville ISD said. The district said counselors will be on campus "as long as necessary to support students and staff as we deal with this loss." "Our thoughts and prayers are with Mr. Ward’s family," said Superintendent Rock E. McNulty.
The third and fourth fatalities reported were that of a 31-year old mother and her 8-month old infant. Apparently Josefina Rodriguez became alarmed as floodwaters began to creep into her home. She put her 8-month old son Jay in her vehicle and tried to drive to higher ground. Sadly as she attempted to reach safety, her vehicle was swept away by fast rising floodwaters. Both bodies were discovered hours later along the banks of Onion Creek. See related news media reports below:
“Woman found dead along Onion Creek, infant still missing”
Emergency crews have found the body of 31-year-old Josefina Rodriguez along the waters of Onion Creek. Her 8-month-old son is still missing.
According Roger Wade, a spokesperson for the Travis County Sheriff’s Office, Rodriguez was on the phone with family members during the flooding around 4:30 a.m. Thursday morning when her phone went dead.
The family believed she was on Bluff Springs Road near Onion Creek, an area hit especially hard by the storm. Emergency crews were able to find the car, but the woman and child were missing. Rodriguez’s body was found Friday afternoon.
Rodriguez’s death brings the total number of flooding-related deaths to three in Travis County. A man was found dead along Onion Creek Thursday and another was confirmed dead in Caldwell County.
“Mother, infant found dead along Onion Creek”
Update-- The body of 8-month-old Jay Rodriguez has been recovered from Onion Creek. According the Travis County Sheriff's Office, his body was found near where his mother was found.
This brings to four the number of deaths caused by Thursday's flooding.
Earlier-- Emergency crews have found the body of 31-year-old Josefina Rodriguez along the waters of Onion Creek. Her 8-month-old son is still missing.
According Roger Wade, a spokesperson for the Travis County Sheriff’s Office, Rodriguez was on the phone with family members during the flooding around 4:30 a.m. Thursday morning when her phone went dead.
The family believed she was on Bluff Springs Road near Onion Creek, an area hit especially hard by the storm. Emergency crews were able to find the car, but the woman and child were missing. Rodriguez’s body was found Friday afternoon.
The fifth flood fatality of this flood event was that of a 26-year old Canyon Lake man who drowned in the Guadalupe River in Comal County. This was not a vehicle related fatality.
See news media story below:
“Fifth flood victim recovered in Comal County”
A fifth victim has been recovered from receding flood water following a deluge of rain late Wednesday night and early Thursday morning. Comal County officials on Sunday found the body of 26-year-old Samuel Gene Rosson of Canyon Lake who was swept away in the Guadalupe River.
According to an earlier report from the San Antonio News-Express, officials were called to the 500 block of Riverside Path at 1:30 a.m. Thursday where a river outfitter employee slipped and fell into the swollen river while trying to retrieve some equipment. Rescue crews searched the area around the riverbank Thursday and Friday, but conditions were too dangerous to send in divers.
Floodwaters of Barton Creek quickly overflowed Barton Springs Pool
Rainfall reports of more than 5 inches in one hour prompted numerous
Road closures
“Turn Around Don’t Drown” – rules the road
Unfortunately, many drivers do not heed barricades
Driving around a barricade could end like this
Floodwaters at night can obscure roadway – how deep is the water?
Is the roadway still intact?
The statue of Stevie Ray Vaughn stands tall against floodwaters
Of Colorado River along Auditorium Shores of Lady Bird Lake in Austin
Flood scenes along Onion Creek in South Austin
First Baptist Church near Onion Creek – South Austin
Is it substantial damage?
As of November 1, 2013 – Flash Flood deaths in Texas now total 9 and there is still a
woman reported missing as a result of a vehicle being washed from a flooded road. (See
stories below)
Summary of flood deaths:
May 25, 2013 – Bexar County
Three deaths – two vehicle related
October 14, 2013 – Travis County
One death – not vehicle related
October 29-30, 2013 – “Halloween Flood”
Travis County – three deaths – all vehicle related
Caldwell County – one death – vehicle related
Comal County – one death – not vehicle related
Total Flash Flood Deaths for 2013
Nine Deaths – Six vehicle related (67%)
“Police: Woman still missing after being swept away”
Man told police he drove into swift waters
LOCKHART, Texas - Authorities in Caldwell County said they have exhausted all of their options to find a woman they believe was swept away in floodwaters last week.