At Least 5 Dead and 2 Missing amid Flash Flooding in Texas: Reports

At least five people have died and two are missing as heavy rainfall flooded San Antonio, Texas, according to reports.

On Thursday, June 12, floodwaters swept away multiple vehicles, with the rain resulting in the multiple deaths, which all occurred in the northeast part of the city, the Associated Press reported, citing authorities.

According to local ABC-affiliated station KSAT, the San Antonio Police Department and San Antonio Fire Department started receiving calls in the early hours of the morning at around 4:15 a.m. local time from people who had been stranded on the frontage road of Loop 410 near Perrin Beitel Road.

Fifteen vehicles were swept away in the area, the outlet noted, citing the fire department.

The publication reported that two men and three women had died.

Fire department spokesperson Joe Arrington told the AP that some of those rescued had said that they’d been swept off an interstate access road by “sudden fast rising water,” adding that vehicles had been swept into a creek and carried downstream.

Two people remain unaccounted for, per ABC News, citing authorities.

Police Chief William McManus said some of the victims had been found deceased inside their cars, KSAT reported.

Arrington added that 10 people had been rescued from trees and bushes around a mile from where they’d entered the water, while two people had been able to get to safety by themselves, per AP. Four people were taken to the hospital with minor injuries, Arrington said.

Police Chief McManus told reporters that authorities had been responding to a “very, very tragic situation” amid the floods, per a clip shared by News 4 San Antonio on YouTube.

The National Weather Service (NWS) issued flood warnings on X on Thursday and the fire department warned the public on Facebook that “many areas” were still “closed due to water on the road,” stating that more storms were expected in the area and that a flash flood warning was in place.

According to KSAT, five to eight inches of rain fell overnight on Wednesday, June 11, on the north side of the city in a short period of time. 

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Angela Richards was among those searching for a loved one, telling NBC News that the last time she’d heard from her husband, Stevie Richards, was when he was driving to work.

“I could hear whatever the car hit and then the water taking over the car,” she said, per the outlet. “And that’s the last I heard.”

The San Antonio Police Department and the San Antonio Fire Department did not immediately respond when contacted by PEOPLE for additional information.