Storms pound San Antonio, bring Flash Flood Warning

Heavy rains cause flooding on Broadway Wednesday morning, June 25, 2014. Heavy rains cause flooding on Broadway Wednesday morning, June 25, 2014. Photo: Lainey Berkus/San Antonio Express-News Photo: Lainey Berkus/San Antonio Express-News Image 1 of / 60 Caption Close Storms pound San Antonio, bring Flash Flood Warning 1 / 60 Back to Gallery

SAN ANTONIO - Heavy thunderstorms pounded San Antonio and surrounding areas Wednesday morning, bringing about 2 to 3 inches of rain per hour, forecasters said.

The rain began to fall at about 7 a.m., and until 11 a.m. the San Antonio Fire Department was responding to weather-related calls, said Christian Bove, fire department spokesman.

The fire department got 8 calls for water rescues, but only had to actually rescue one person, Bove said. An elderly man ended up trapped in high water on the roof of a four-door sedan at Leonhardt and Weidner Roads, Bove said. Firefighters put a personal flotation device on him and escorted him out of the water.

Firefighters responded to 11 calls for lightning strikes, Bove said. Arson investigators were working to determine whether a lightning strike caused a house fire Wednesday morning in the 200 block of Holmgreen Road. As of Wednesday afternoon, they had not made a determination.

No one was home during that fire, and the fire department reported no injuries associated with water rescues.

Sheriff's offices for counties bordering San Antonio reported no major weather-related incidents.

The weather didn't seem to affect travelers very much Wednesday morning at the San Antonio International Airport.

Nora Castro, the airport's public relations manager, said only a handful of flight delays and two cancellations were reported, but it was unclear whether those interruptions occurred because of the weather in San Antonio.

The National Weather Service issued a Flash Flood Warning until 11:30 a.m. for eastern Bexar County including Universal City and parts of San Antonio. The warning also covered portions of Comal, Karnes, and DeWitt Counties.

The lower level of Interstate 35 at San Pedro Ave was closed around 9:20 a.m. due to flooding. Other closures included the eastbound ramp of Loop 410 to southbound Interstate 35 and the northbound ramp at Interstate 35 NB to westbound Loop 410, TxDOT said.

Downtown workers literally walked in the middle of the streets down Broadway and at Broadway and Fourth Street, as the sidewalks overflowed with water that was rushing too fast into the storm drains.

Some cars could be seen with water three inches up to the wheels.

The Weather Service says excessive runoff from heavy rainfall causes flooding of small creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses as well as other drainage areas and low lying spots.

Locations in the warning area include Windcrest, Timberwood Park, Terrell Hills, St. Hedwig, Shavano Park, Olmos Park, Live Oak, Kirby, Hollywood Park, China Grove, Alamo Heights and Selma.

For more information, go to the mySA Weather page.

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