Several homeless people who were believed to be living in a drainage tunnel have been swept away during floods in San Antonio, Texas, officals have said.
On Monday morning, KENS 5 news in San Antonio reported that members of the city's fire department had responded to reports that several individuals were swept away in flooding at around 2:30 a.m. local time. According to the outlet, fire officials said that there was a group of around five to six homeless people living in a drainage tunnel approximately eight miles north of downtown.
"We received a call just after midnight that there may be folks trapped under a bridge due to rising water," a spokesperson for the San Antonio Fire Department told Newsweek.
"According to individuals on scene, five people may have been swept away by fast moving water. Firefighters made multiple locations and searched the water and deployed a boat."
The spokesperson told Newsweek that none of the individuals had been found and he was unable to confirm that it was five victims.
Throughout the early morning hours on Monday, parts of San Antonio were hit with heavy rainfall resulting is widespread flooding.
The National Weather Service (NWS) in San Antonio previously announced a flash flood warning "including San Antonio TX, New Braunfels TX and Canyon Lake TX until 5:00 AM CST."
The NWS posted: "415 AM: Light to moderate rain continues near and east of the I-35 corridor. A Flash Flood Warning is in effect for portions of Comal and Bexar counties and a Flood Advisory for Hays and Travis."
Eric Pointer of Austin, Texas, news outlet KVUE also shared photos of road closure signs telling drivers to turn around as rain led to streets flooding. "We're live this morning monitoring road conditions as we are in a flood advisory. We've seen slick roads and some even closed because of rushing water. This is on Posten Lane off of Riverside Drive in South Austin. Remember, turn around, don't drown," the post said.
The Texas Department of Transportation also urged residents to be cautious when driving because of the potential for flooded roads. In a post on X, the agency told drivers to slow down, pay attention, "watch out for water on the road," and "Turn around don't drown—never go around barricades."
Another video posted to X by Bettie Cross of CBS Austin, showed heavy floodwaters traveling through roads in Austin.
The post read: "31 Austin low water crossings are closed on Monday morning due to heavy rain. This is the crossing at Old Spicewood Springs Road in North Austin. Turnaround [sic] don't drown," Cross wrote.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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