SAN ANGELO, TX – Emergency crews are responding to a series of water rescues across San Angelo on Thursday evening, as heavy rains led to dangerous flooding in multiple low-lying areas.
The San Angelo Fire Department’s water rescue team was dispatched to several locations, including Blue Ridge Trail at Loop 306 and Sunset Drive near Huntington Lane, where vehicles were swept into high waters.
One driver, whose Dodge Charger was pulled off a low-water crossing on Sunset, was found clinging to mesquite tree branches on the roof of his car. Rescuers successfully retrieved him, though he expressed more concern over his tools left in the submerged car.
Additional reports indicated rescues underway at South Chadbourne and Avenue Q, where water levels reached around two and a half feet, and another near North Archer and Spaulding, where we had a reporter at the scene.
Our reporter said that a Chevy Traverse carrying four occupants was rescued at Spaulding Street by the San Angelo Fire Department’s water rescue team.
We also received images showing the Pulliam Street low-water crossing between Bell Street and Main Street.
Another water rescue was performed at the intersection of South Chadbourne and Avenue Q. A first responder presence was absent when our reporter arrived.
Emergency crews also responded to reports of people trapped in an elevator, believed to be impacted by the storm-related power outages.
Authorities reported that conditions at several crossing points were rough, with some rapids reaching Class IV levels.
The San Angelo Fire Department is advising residents to avoid driving through any flooded areas and to heed road closure signs for their safety.
One newly redesigned crossing at McDonald’s Red Arroyo updated two years ago, appeared to hold up well under the strain, with minimal water reported running across it. The upgrades may have mitigated flood risks at this crossing.
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