San Antonio Commemorates 25 Years Since Devastating 1998 Floods

San Antonio Reflects on 1998 Flood: A Quarter-Century of Remembrance and Resilience. San Antonio, Texas – Twenty-five years after the devastating October 1998 floods, residents and emergency services reflect on one of the worst natural disasters to strike the region. The catastrophic event, which swept through San Antonio and surrounding communities like Seguin, Cibolo, and New Braunfels, claimed 31 lives and left over 12,000 structures destroyed across two dozen Texas counties. Archival footage from KSAT12 news reveals the relentless downpour that quickly transformed into a disaster, with floodwaters submerging highways and residential areas. Eyewitness accounts from the time paint a grim picture. One resident, Shane Shanfewell, stated, "I've never seen it flood this bad." Another, Tony Townsend, who had lived in San Antonio since 1980, echoed the sentiment, "This is the worst I think I've seen it flood before, but this is probably the worst." The severe flooding washed away homes and possessions, tearing apart families and leaving communities in shock. Rescue crews were deployed to save stranded individuals, with firefighters manning boats to retrieve trapped residents from flooded homes. Captain Mike Miller of SAFD recounted using boats to rescue two gentlemen from the second floor of a house where the first floor was "entirely flooded." The disaster underscored critical infrastructure challenges, with one resident remarking, "This city needs to work on its drainage problem." The legacy of the 1998 floods continues to shape community preparedness and resilience efforts in South Texas, serving as a powerful reminder of nature's destructive force and the enduring spirit of those who lived through it.

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It Has Been 27 Years Since the Flood of 1998 in South Texas

While we had bad flooding in Victoria, it was worse in Cuero, Texas.