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Bexar County commissioners on Tuesday approved $20 million to update the region's flood warning system, including technology and infrastructure, in an effort to prevent drownings and high-water rescues.
The Next Generation Flood Warning System is expected to take two years to complete. The San Antonio River Authority, at the county's request, proposed the improvements to the existing flood warning system.
Improved flood gauge sensors and proactive alerts to first responders are part of the project.
Derek Boese, the general manager and CEO of the river authority, said flood warning technology has faster speeds now that could help save lives.
"AI seems to be in every single conversation that we have, regardless of the topic," he said. "And so, that is just a small example of how me might be able to use that sort of technology to help make predictions faster. But computers speeds have increased. Sensors and gauge data and gauges themselves have gotten better."
Precinct 4 County Commissioner Tommy Calvert represents a very flood prone part of the county, including Northeast San Antonio, where 13 people died in June flooding.
He supports the improvements but had his own warning about floods: "We're in better shape than Kerr [County], but let's be straight about it. With the amount of rainfall that fell within the period of time it fell, there is almost no flood control that could save us, right?"
Kerr County saw deadly flooding around the 4th of July, and more than 100 people died.
Calvert also called for increased retention and detention ponds to address what he called "the root causes" of the deadly flooding near Loop 410 and Perrin-Beitel along with the six inches of rain that fell in a short amount of time.
The area is also covered in pavement, and Calvert said flood control engineers told him that enabled floodwaters to increase in speed and create a "tsunami" down Beitel Creek.
Calvert added almost any flood control measure can be overtaken with five inches of rain in a short amount of time.
The city and state are expected to eventually pitch in to help fund the rest of the $55 million local Next Gen system.
Bexar County's past flood control improvements include a 10-year, half-a-billion flood improvement program started in 2007 and another $384 million in local flood control projects since 2017.
The county operates 80 High Water Alert Lifesaving Technology that use sensors to detect rising water on roadways.
Most flood deaths involve motorists at low water crossings.
