San Marcos storms trigger sirens, flooding and outages

As storms moved through the region, flooding closed several low-water crossings in Hays, Comal and Bexar counties. A flood watch remains in effect through June 12 until 7 p.m., with more heavy rain possible east of I-35. The NWS warned of potential flooding in low-lying areas, creeks and rivers.

In San Marcos, city officials reported more than 2,000 utility meters lost power due to the storm. SMTX Utilities crews began restoration work at 2:30 a.m., and by 10 a.m. June 12, only five meters remained without service, officials said in a Facebook post.

What you need to know

Many San Marcos residents may have heard emergency sirens as storms moved through. The city’s Outdoor Warning System was activated, similar to the storms May 26.

According to the city, the system uses three distinct siren tones for different threats:

• Tornado warning: A long, steady, single-pitch tone for three minutes
• Wildland fire: Alternating high and low tones for three minutes
• Public safety threat (e.g., flash flooding): A wave-like tone that changes pitch every 16 seconds for three minutes

The Hays County Office of Emergency Services is asking residents to report property damage through the iSTAT tool at www.damage.tdem.texas.gov under “June 2 Continuing Severe Weather.”

To track power outages in San Marcos, residents can visit www.sanmarcostx.gov/oms.

Residents are encouraged to have multiple ways to receive alerts, including weather apps, NOAA weather radios, and local media, and to sign up for regional notifications through Warn Central Texas.

• Learn more about the siren system: www.sanmarcostx.gov/4434/Outdoor-Warning-System
• Sign up for emergency alerts: https://warncentraltexas.org