At least 11 people have been confirmed dead and several others are still missing after heavy rainfall earlier this week triggered severe flooding across highways in San Antonio, Texas, authorities reported on Friday.
Both the Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office and the San Antonio Fire Department informed CBS News that the death toll had climbed to 11. While the fire department acknowledged that multiple individuals were still unaccounted for, they could not confirm how many. San Antonio falls within Bexar County.
Earlier on Friday, the fire department stated it was concentrating search efforts on Salado Creek and Leon Creek, with support requested from Texas A&M Task Force 1, a federal search-and-rescue unit working under FEMA.
The torrential rains, which began late Wednesday, resulted in a surge of emergency calls for water rescues starting around 5 a.m. Thursday, especially in San Antonio’s northeastern Perrin Beitel neighborhood.
The identities of the deceased have not been officially released, though one victim has been identified as a 77-year-old woman, according to CBS affiliate KENS-TV.
Authorities believe many of the individuals who were rescued or found had originally been trapped in their vehicles due to traffic, but rising floodwaters forced them into nearby trees by the time rescue teams arrived.
By Thursday, the fire department had responded to no fewer than 70 water rescue incidents. At least 10 people were successfully rescued, with four taken to hospitals for minor injuries.
“The rescue and recovery mission will continue and remain highly detailed over the coming days,” the department noted in an email on Friday.
One local resident, Angel Richards, shared with KENS 5 that her husband, Stevie, was caught in the floodwaters while on his way to work and managed to call her during the ordeal.
“It’s heartbreaking because I was on the phone with him when it happened. Now, I have little information and just seeing the car—it’s overwhelming,” she said. “No one has been able to tell me exactly what’s happening.”
