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26 years ago, the tragic flood of ‘98 came through San Antonio

The Alamo City officially got 11.26″ of rain that day

SAN ANTONIO – The 500-year flood — that’s what we saw back on Oct. 17, 1998.

Thursday marks 26 years since the devasting weather event, which resulted in 31 deaths and $1.19 million in damage.

Simply put, a “500-year flood” describes the odds of a massive flood happening.

It started raining overnight and by Saturday morning on Oct. 17, 1998, major flooding was already covering much of the area. View archived aerial footage from Sky 12 in the video player above.

But that was just the beginning — the Alamo City officially got 11.26 inches of rain that day and more than 15 inches by the time all was said and done.

Read former KSAT meteorologist Mike Osterhage’s first-hand account of the flood at this link.

Watch: Flood ‘98: KSAT’s complete video documentary of the South Texas flood of 1998


About the Authors
Justin Horne headshot

Justin Horne is a meteorologist and reporter for KSAT 12 News. When severe weather rolls through, Justin will hop in the KSAT 12 Storm Chaser to safely bring you the latest weather conditions from across South Texas. On top of delivering an accurate forecast, Justin often reports on one of his favorite topics: Texas history.

Mia Montgomery headshot

Meteorologist Mia Montgomery joined the KSAT Weather Authority Team in September 2022. As a Floresville native, Mia grew up in the San Antonio area and always knew that she wanted to return home. She previously worked as a meteorologist at KBTX in Bryan-College Station and is a fourth-generation Aggie.

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