Texas, 2002

Flash Flooding in Texas, September 8, 2002

September 8, 2002 · NWS EWX · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

By late afternoon, rainfall was widespread across South Central Texas, having spread westward to the Rio Grande. A band of heavy rain stretching from near San Antonio through Floresville to Karnes City produced an additional round of flash flooding from late afternoon into the early evening.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 3 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
7
Property damage
$180,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
3

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS EWX wrote it up.

By late afternoon, rainfall was widespread across South Central Texas, having spread westward to the Rio Grande. A band of heavy rain stretching from near San Antonio through Floresville to Karnes City produced an additional round of flash flooding from late afternoon into the early evening. Rain amounts averaged from 1 to 2 inches with isolated totals to near 9 inches in the western part of Wilson County.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Sep 8, 1:25 PM CST, 3 hours 5 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 8, 1:25 PM CST, 3 hours 5 minutes before
SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS FORECAST DISCUSSION UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
225 PM CDT SUN SEP 8 2002

AVN REMAINS MODEL OF CHOICE AND CONTINUES TO BE SOBERING.  REMNANTS
OF FAY PROGGED TO DRIFT SOUTHWARD FROM CURRENT LOCATION SW OF SAN
ANTONIO TO THE LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY BY MONDAY NIGHT.  SPIRAL BANDS
TRAINING RAINS CURRENTLY OVER EASTERN AND NORTHERN CWA.  LOOKS LIKE
CORE RAINS TONIGHT WILL SET UP BASICALLY KARNES COUNTY...ACROSS SAN
ANTONIO TO COMAL COUNTY.  WIDESPREAD 1 TO 3 INCHES ACROSS EASTERN
2/3 OF CWA WITH UP TO 8 INCHES MAINLY IN CORE RAIN AREA.  HEAVY
RAINS SHIFT SW BY MONDAY NIGHT WITH WEATHER IMPROVING NE 2/3 OF AREA
TUESDAY.  MINOR UPPER AIR DISTURBANCES KEEP LOW POPS IN FOR THURSDAY
THROUGH SUNDAY.  TEMPS WARMING LATTER PART OF EXTENDED.

PRELIMS...
AUS  72 85 72 87   8853
DRT  74 88 74 88   3375
SAT  72 87 72 88   9853

.EWX...FF WATCH THROUGH 6 AM MONDAY SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS AND THE
       TEXAS HILL COUNTRY EXCEPT EXTREME WESTERN COUNTIES.

3/13/DC/PM

The radar

The Austin/San Antonio radar (KEWX), 55 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:31 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Bexar

When
September 8, 4:30 PM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
Bexar County, Countywide
Injuries
2 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage
$80,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
29.449, -98.520 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

General 2 inch rainfall with isolated totals to 4 inches. Alamo Community College District was forced to close due to high water on entry roads. Around a dozen rescues in deep water in the county, but none in San Antonio. One mother and daughter drove past a barricade on Ingram Road and had to be rescued as their 2-door coupe became submerged. Minor damage was reported to bridges and county roads.

Flash Flood, Karnes

When
September 8, 4:30 PM CST to 6:30 PM CST
Where
Karnes County, Countywide
Property damage
$20,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
28.906, -97.859 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

General 2 inch rainfall with isolated totals to 5 inches. Minor damage was reported to bridges and county roads.

Flash Flood, Wilson

When
September 8, 4:30 PM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
Wilson County, Countywide
Injuries
5 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage
$80,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
29.174, -98.087 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

General 2 to 3 inch rainfall was indicated across the county with isolated totals to 9 inches in the western part of the county. Five high water rescues were required. Considerable damage was indicated to bridges and county roads.

What these are

Flash Flood
Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Texas in 2002Every state in 2002This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, September 2002

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5320654, 5320655, 5320656.