Flash Flood Kills 13 in San Antonio: What Every Buyer, Seller, Renter and Homeowner Needs to Know Right Now

In the early morning hours of Thursday, June 12, 2025, a devastating flash flood swept through San Antonio, killing 13 people and forcing 70 high-water rescues by San Antonio Fire Department crews. Between 2:51 and 3:51 a.m., 3.98 inches of rain fell in a single hour — the highest hourly rainfall rate the city has recorded since 1934. More than six inches of total rainfall accumulated by early morning. Most of the fatalities were recovered near the Loop 410 and Perrin Beitel Road corridor, with additional victims found along Leon Creek, Highway 90, Callaghan Road and Wurzbach Parkway.

This is a tragedy of the deepest kind, and our thoughts are with every family affected. As a real estate company rooted in this city, we also have a responsibility to help our clients understand what an event like this means for their homes, their searches and their financial futures.

If you are currently buying a home in San Antonio, today is a critical reminder to study flood maps before you fall in love with a property. The areas hit hardest — Perrin Beitel near Loop 410, the Leon Creek corridor, stretches of Highway 90, Callaghan Road and Wurzbach Parkway — overlap with flood-prone zones that FEMA and the San Antonio River Authority have long identified as carrying elevated risk. ZIP codes in the 78217, 78218, 78228 and 78227 areas include neighborhoods that sit near drainage channels and low-lying creek beds. Before making an offer anywhere in the greater San Antonio area, ask your agent for the current FEMA flood zone designation for that specific property, and request the seller's disclosure for any prior flood damage or claims.

Flood insurance is a separate policy from standard homeowner's insurance, and many buyers do not realize this until it is too late. If a home sits in a Special Flood Hazard Area, your lender will require it. If it sits just outside one, it is still worth pricing out. What happened this morning — nearly four inches of rain in sixty minutes — can overwhelm drainage infrastructure in areas that have never flooded before.

If you are selling a home near any of the affected corridors, be prepared for buyers and their agents to ask harder questions about drainage, elevation and flood history starting now. That is not a reason to panic, but it is a reason to be proactive. Pull your flood zone certificate if you have one. Gather any documentation showing your property stayed dry. If you have made improvements to drainage on your lot, document those too. Transparency builds trust and keeps transactions moving.

For renters, today's disaster is a reminder that flood risk is not only a homeowner's problem. Renters in ground-floor units near creek corridors, low-lying apartment complexes along Leon Creek, or properties close to the drainage channels that run through the Callaghan Road and Wurzbach Parkway areas should review their renter's insurance policies today. Standard renter's insurance does not cover flood damage. A separate flood policy through the National Flood Insurance Program is available to renters, and given what San Antonio experienced overnight, it is worth a conversation with your insurance agent.

For homeowners throughout San Antonio — not only those near today's hardest-hit areas — this morning is a reminder to take a few practical steps now, while the sense of urgency is real. Walk your property and check that downspouts direct water away from your foundation. Make sure your gutters are clear heading into the rest of this summer storm season. Know where your main water shutoff is. If you have a finished basement or a low-lying garage, consider whether your belongings there are protected. And if you have not reviewed your homeowner's insurance policy recently, call your agent this week.

San Antonio has a long history with flash flooding. The geography of the city — its creek systems, its limestone terrain, its position in Flash Flood Alley — means that heavy rain events are not a question of if but when. What happened on June 12, 2025 was historic in its intensity, but the underlying risk is a permanent feature of living here.

That does not mean San Antonio is not a wonderful place to buy, sell, rent or own a home. It means doing so with clear eyes. Know your flood zone. Carry the right insurance. Ask the right questions before you sign anything.

If you have questions about a specific property, neighborhood or how flood risk affects your situation as a buyer, seller or homeowner in San Antonio, the team at 5 Star Real Estate is here to help you think it through honestly and carefully.