Two people were killed when floodwaters raged through drainage channels in the city the night of Aug. 31. Another victim remains unidentified.
SAN ANTONIO — One of two people believed to have been swept away and killed by floodwaters when more than 3 inches rain fell in parts of San Antonio to close out August has been identified by authorities as a 43-year-old woman.
According to the Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office, Nicole Lynn Keller is the woman found by authorities after floodwaters rushed through Salado Creek, on the north side, the night of Aug. 31. Her body, as well as that of a still-unidentified man, were recovered the following day, San Antonio police officials said at the time.
“It started out as a notification from some friends of the individuals who are now deceased who were wondering where they were, hadn’t seen them for a while,” Police Chief William McManus said at the time, adding they may have been homeless and near the 12500 block of Maltsberger when the floodwaters arrives.
The medical examiner listed Lynn’s official manner of death as drowning.
The Aug. 31 storms dumped 3.11 inches of rain at San Antonio International Airport, according to the National Weather Service, amounting to virtually all the precipitation the city got in an otherwise dry July. Still, that’s more than the 2.41 inches of rain San Antonio historically gets over the entire month, according to NWS historical data gathered from 1991 to 2020.
The deadly rain came two months after 13 people were killed on another day of major San Antonio flooding. June 12 saw 6.12 inches of rain dumped at the airport—making it the city’s rainiest day in 12 years.
Ten of the 13 victims were found in the Perrin Beitel area on the north side, where a swell of rushing water pushed cars off the road as they were stuck in traffic, and into a nearby creek.
In the aftermath of that tragic day, local leaders have reinforced the call to improve city drainage and street infrastructure while the state approves new legislation after the devastating July floods that killed more than 100 in the Hill Country.
San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones visited several sites of ongoing flood mitigation efforts on Monday, the city says, “to ensure the city has the resources it needs to address the impacts from severe storms.”
“There are significant infrastructure needs throughout the city, including flood prevention and mitigation projects from Rock Creek to Huebner Creek that can help protect the safety of residents, curb long-term costs, and enable economic development,” Jones said in a release from the city. “I’m committed to understanding the full scope of our residents’ needs and working with Council and the State to prioritize and fund projects that help our city thrive.”