Austin, TX
How to check for flooding before driving on San Antonio-area roads
Driving in heavy rain can be hazardous, but understanding wet-weather road conditions is key to staying safe. Being careful during San Antonio’s storms means knowing how to check local road closures and having a plan to avoid flood-prone areas.
The need is especially acute in Central Texas and the Hill Country, which are experiencing an ongoing drought. According to the flood barrier company Flood Risk America, dry soil is hydrophobic, causing water to overflow quickly.
The good news is that checking driving conditions is easier than ever, thanks to online tools. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) frequently tweets weather updates and closures and maintains a real-time map showing travel dangers at DriveTexas.org.
Users can use toggles to filter out various driving headaches, including scheduled closures, road damage, construction, and flooding. The information is updated 24 hours a day in five-minute intervals.
Drivers should be warned, however, that the map only covers roadways maintained by the TxDOT system. While this does include rural Farm- and Ranch-to-Market routes, it does not include roads maintained by counties or municipalities.
The City of San Antonio maintains its own list of closures through the Public Works Department, and Bexar County conditions are posted on its own website.
Even with online information, driving safety can deteriorate quickly, especially during flash flooding. TxDOT reminds Texas motorists that water accumulations can appear to be more shallow than they actually are. It’s always best to “turn around, don’t drown.”
According to the agency, drivers can lose control of their vehicle — even if it is a truck or SUV — in as little as six inches of rapidly moving water. TxDOT recommends that drivers adhere to the following laws and guidelines:
- Never walk, swim, or drive through still or moving flood waters, which can hide dangers such as debris or downed power lines.
- Be especially mindful when driving at night when visibility is decreased.
- If you can do so safely, leave your vehicle if it stalls in deep water and head to higher ground.
- Driving around barriers blocking flooded roadways is illegal, subject to 180 days in jail and/ or a $2,000 fine.
- Tampering with signs is punishable with a fine of up to $1,000 and up to two years in jail.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas’ highway system dropped two spots since 2025, and now ranks at No. 27 in the country for its cost-effectiveness and overall conditions, according to the Reason Foundation’s 2026 Highway Report.
The report assessed pavement conditions, fatalities, deficient bridges, infrastructure costs and congestion levels across the United States. Texas earned the following rankings:
- 33rd in urban interstate pavement conditions
- 21st in rural interstate pavement conditions
- 39th in urban arterial pavement conditions
- 12th in rural arterial pavement conditions
- 3rd in structurally deficient bridges
- 26th in urban fatality rate
- 42nd in rural fatality rate
- 41st in traffic congestion
“More than 42,000 of the nation’s 618,923 highway bridges, nearly 7%, are still structurally deficient. Arizona, Nevada, and Texas reported the lowest percentages of deficient bridges,” the report said.
The full report can be found online.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Small hail peppered the Austin area as strong thunderstorms moved through Saturday.
A few of the storms dropped rain and up to pea-sized hail in San Marcos, Dripping Springs and the Austin metro area.
A Severe Thunderstorm Warning was issued for Williamson County around 8:15 p.m., and then canceled shortly after. However, it was enough for the Two Step Inn music festival in Georgetown to cancel shows for the rest of the evening. Event organizers say the festival will run as planned Sunday.
KXAN’s First Warning Weather team is monitoring the storms. We will update this post as the evening continues.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Governor Greg Abbott and the Texas Society Sons of the American Revolution unveiled a new monument at the Texas State Cemetery on Saturday, dedicated to Texas Revolutionary War soldiers.
“We must educate every generation about why it is that America grew from a tenuous 13 colonies into the most powerful country in the history of the world,” said Governor Abbott. “This monument here is an enduring testament to the heroes who fought for the freedom that is unique to America.”
The monument was dedicated to 69 soldiers who fought in the American Revolutionary War and later settled in Texas, according to a press release.
Among those that were honored, Abbott recognized:
- José Santiago Seguín, grandfather of Texas Revolutionary hero Juan Seguín.
- Peter Sides, who fought in the 2nd Battalion of the North Carolina Regiment of the Colonial Army, and was later killed in the 1813 Battle of Medina, fighting for Mexican independence against Spain.
- Antonio Gil Y’Barbo, the founder of Nacogdoches.
- William Sparks, who fought as a mounted rifleman in the American Revolution and later settled in Texas. He had two sons and two grandsons who fought in the Texas Revolution.
“This year marks the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, which not only gave freedom to the British colonies of North America, but inspired movements for freedom and liberty all over the world,” said TSSAR President Mel Oller. “Texans played a role in the war too, and it’s important to recognize them, and the sacrifices they made for our freedom.”
At the monument unveiling, Abbott was also inducted into the Sons of the American Revolution and received its Silver Good Citizenship Medal.
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