Mayor Taylor Issues Declaration of Disaster After San Antonio Survives 4 Tornadoes in One Night

Late Monday afternoon (February 20), San Antonio’s Mayor Ivy Taylor issued a declaration of disaster following news of multiple tornado outbreaks hitting portions of the city on Sunday night, as a storm system passing over caused significant damage. Many homes were left without power as emergency crews scrambled to assist victims and try to restore services. Mayor Taylor identified that the declaration is the first step in attempting to secure state and federal financial aid following the storm damages.

Photo: Facebook/Univision San Antonio

Late Monday morning, the National Weather Service confirmed that an EF-1 tornado had touched down near the Quarry shopping center (Linda Drive) with winds at 105 mph and a swath of 4.5 miles. They later confirmed three additional tornadoes at the Northeast side, the Northern Hills subdivision, and Garden Ridge in Comal County, with strengths of EF-0, EF-1, and EF-0 respectively. In an interview with My SA, Mayor Taylor stated, “I spent several hours today surveying the damage in different neighborhoods near the Quarry and was amazed to see roofs ripped off homes only to be found mangled in branches several doors down and 50-year old trees uprooted and toppled on tops of cars.”

Photo: Wikimedia

According to Monica Ramos, Bexar County spokeswomen, up to 30 homes on the Northeast side sustained damage, some of which were completely destroyed. As a result of the strong winds that accompanied the storms, many of the homes had their roofs completely peeled off, and thankfully no major injuries have been reported. The Bexar County Public Works is now in the process of cleaning up debris from roads and power lines. The report by the San Antonio Fire Department identifies that more than 100 homes in total across the city were damaged, resulting in only five residents reporting minor injuries; an amazing ratio considering the system’s magnitude and the locations of confirmed funnels.

Photo: Facebook/Duwane Clark

Ramos further identified that Bexar County is “…coordinating with local agencies to provide assistance to affected residents in the area starting at daylight,” which would be today (February 21). Twenty-three thousand customers have been confirmed to be without power as of 6:51 a.m., Monday morning, with the majority of it centered around the North side of the city. CPS Energy has advised that residents are to stay away from downed power lines or any damaged equipment in the meantime while they work to clear up issues resulting from the tornadoes. As more develops, My SA will keep local residents informed.