Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Flood Warning topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Bexar County accepts up to $1.25 million in state funds for flood‑warning sirens, outlines phased NextGen plan
Summary
The Commissioners Court approved a resolution to accept Texas Water Development Board funding—up to $1.25 million—to install state‑mandated flood sirens as part of a phased NextGen Flood Warning System. County staff and the San Antonio River Authority presented site, power and outreach considerations and a Sept. 2027 target for system completion.
Bexar County Commissioners on Wednesday voted to accept financial assistance from the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) to install flood‑warning sirens as part of the county’s NextGen Flood Warning System. The resolution authorizes the county judge to execute the grant agreement for an amount not to exceed $1,250,000.
Erin Cavazos, engineering manager for the San Antonio River Authority, told the court the siren funding responds to state requirements. “Senate Bill 3 legislation mandates sirens in certain counties of the state and, also providing a funding opportunity for that,” she said, and noted the county’s flash‑flood‑prone inventory. Cavazos said preliminary maps identify “800 and almost 900 stream miles of flash flood prone area,” roughly 36% of Bexar County’s flood‑prone mileage, which makes full coverage more expensive than the state allocation.
Presenters described a phased approach: a design and site‑selection phase to prioritize highest‑risk locations (overnight camping areas, RV parks, and sites where people are outdoors at night) followed by staggered installations tied to redundancy for communications and power. Derek (San Antonio River Authority) said the River Authority will conduct surveys and risk assessments and expects to return in May with a capital plan and a request for the next design phase.
Commissioners pressed on coverage priorities, whether sirens effectively reach drivers, and how the county will coordinate with municipalities. Commissioner Tommy Calvert urged micro‑targeted outreach in rural precincts that do not use city media outlets. Commissioner Grant Moody emphasized this is about protecting human life: “We have to prioritize those infrastructure dollars, in addition to this,” he said, noting early‑warning systems complement, but do not replace, major drainage and low‑water‑crossing projects.
County staff and River Authority staff said the project schedule assumes 24 months of design and implementation, with a goal to be substantially complete by September 2027 and early alerting capabilities beginning this summer. The court approved the resolution and authorized execution of the grant agreement; the motion carried.
