How Would Rita Affect San Antonio? I have Nephew...

[canegrl04]

Stationed at Ft. Sam Houston

[dlisted]

You should look at a map of Texas before you ask such a dumb question.

[jopatura]

That's not such a dumb question. If Rita gets as big as they say she is, officials here in Bryan/College Station are preparing for hurricane force winds, if it hits in the right place to our south. So San Antonio could probably see TS force winds if it hit the Brownsville/Corpus Christi area. Even if it does hit the Upper Texas Coast, San Antonio will get rain from the outer bands and probably a lot of it.

[Starburst]

You should look at a map of Texas before you ask such a dumb question.

Not a dumb question at all and might I add that your post is not a good way to start out here. Think before you type!!

I can tell you during hurricane Allen San Antonio had TS force winds and lots of rain and many many tornados. Hope that helps

[canegrl04]

Gee,I was only concerned for my nephew. San Antonio could face problems from Rita.I just wanted to know how much

[Brent]

Depends...

The NHC track still has it with 70 mph winds slightly east of San Antonio... so there could easily be hurricane force gusts there.

[Brent]

You should look at a map of Texas before you ask such a dumb question.

[Houston_Tempest]

i was only 6, but I read reports that Alicia spawned tornadoes all the way to the hill country.

[Dr. Jonah Rainwater]

It depends how far south she hits. Unless she hits down near Corpus though, I'd imagine Dallas will have it worse than San Antonio will, just because of the trajectory the storm will take.

[jasons2k]

People forget about a huge risk and that is inland flooding. The TX Hill Country near San Antonio is notorious for flooding - lots of creekbeds and the soil is pure rock (limestone) so it just runs off.

[soonertwister]

The three biggest threats in San Antonio, in ascending order:

3. Tornadoes. Large, strong hurricanes can spawn many tornadoes far from the eye of the storm. These can occasionally be fairly powerful and can cause a lot of damage and yes, kill people. Know your tornado safety rules, well-constructed homes on foundations are usually sufficient shelter for most hurricane-spawned tornadoes, as long as you know in advance what to do.

2. Flash flooding and river floods. There can be intense periods of rain over large areas with big canes. these can cause amazingly rapid rises in water levels in very short periods of time, in some cases only a matter of seconds. Know what your flash flood danger is, and be prepared to act quickly to reach higher ground if needed. Just because it isn't raining hard in your area doesn't mean that you won't get severe flash flooding. Downbursts miles away can cause your house to go underwater in a short period of time.

1. Stupidity. The largest single cause of death in any weather crisis. People who drive into running water, who place ladders close to power lines, or attempt to do work or carry large loads on insecure ladders or in high winds or adverse weather conditions. Improper handling of chainsaws and power tools. Placing fuel-powered electrical generators in garages, going out during flooding when power lines are down, getting drunk during a storm and going out into the winds and rain, not paying attention to the size and location of trees relatively to your location...

Stupidity can kill you in a million ways. Keep your head on and make all decisions carefully in a crisis. You only have one life to live, so don't presume you are going to be safe, know that you will be.