Officials confirm the death toll from the flooding in San Antonio has risen to eight.
SAN ANTONIO — Officials confirmed the death toll has increased to eight people after deadly flooding early Thursday morning in an area on the northeast side where several cars were swept off roadways. Five deaths were previously reported Thursday evening.
On Friday afternoon, San Antonio Fire Department officials reported three more deaths have been confirmed at the location off Perrin Beitel and Austin Highway.
They say they are looking for six more people who are unaccounted for in two areas, the Perrin Beitel location and another location off U.S. Highway 90 and Callaghan Road.
SAFD officials said just after 5 a.m. Thursday at the Briar Glen Trailhead near Perrin Beitel and Austin Highway, the people in the cars that were swept away had been sitting in traffic due to a stalled car on a nearby road. That’s when the water suddenly came rushing in. Fifteen cars were washed away and 10 people were rescued, San Antonio Police Department Chief William McManus said.
On another side of town, crews responded to U.S. Highway 90 and Callaghan Road just after 3 p.m. Thursday, after high water was reported in the area. At least one man, Derwin Anderson, is missing from that area, according to family members. Crews had to end the search around 8:45 p.m. that night as conditions grew too dark and unsafe.
Dozens of people were rescued from the intense flood waters Thursday. From midnight through 4:45 p.m. Thursday, the fire department said they had responded to 70 calls for rescues and 16 others for “high-water investigations.”