SAN ANTONIO – A busy Tuesday inside the Bexar County Commissioners Court concluded with the announcement of a multi-million dollar update to the county and San Antonio’s flood warning system.
Nearly two months after 13 people were killed due to flooding, Bexar County, the City of San Antonio and San Antonio River Authority officials announced the update to its flood warning system called the Next Generation (NextGen) Flood Warning System and Resilient Infrastructure Program.
The three entities, who work together as the Bexar Regional Watershed Management Partnership, said in a news release that the flood warning system update will cost approximately $20 million.
Some of the Bexar County and City of San Antonio officials in attendance during the Tuesday afternoon news conference included:
- Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai
- David Smith, Bexar County Manager
- Jeff Coyle, City of San Antonio assistant city manager
- Bexar County Precinct 3 Commissioner Grant Moody
- Bexar County Precinct 4 Commissioner Tommy Calvert
- Jim Campbell, San Antonio River Authority chairman of the board
The full news conference can be seen in the video player below.
The NextGen Flood Warning System will use “real-time data from (rain) gauges and sensors” to give a more accurate read of how much rain has fallen and provide first responders — as well as city and county residents — with “critical early warnings,” according to the release.
San Antonio Assistant City Manager Jeff Coyle said the three entities met about the updated warning systems two weeks ago ahead of the state legislature’s special session.
“This is an example of Bexar County really taking a lead in flood control — as it has always done in this state," Coyle said.
San Antonio River Authority Board Chairman Jim Campbell said the data will be transferred to Bexarflood.org and other transportation applications such as Waze.
“We will monitor and maintain the Next Generation Flood Warning System to ensure sensors and radars are working as they should,” Campbell said.
The flood system announcement concluded a day when four of five Bexar County commissioners agreed to allow county voters to decide whether a part of the venue tax will increase this November.
“Although we had some big issues to discuss today (Tuesday), we haven’t forgotten the people who died on June the 12th — especially in Bexar County," Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai said.
Read also: