Most of the people walking along the San Antonio River Walk regularly don’t know that there’s a three-mile concrete tube running 150 ft. beneath their shoes. Water enters the San Antonio River Tunnel around Josephine Street. And the outlet structure returns the water to daylight a little north of Lone Star Boulevard.
This tunnel is a huge part of why downtown stays dry. But it only protects one channel through one part of San Antonio. If you live anywhere outside of downtown, you need flood insurance to make sure you’re covered.
Three Miles (and Nearly Three Decades) of Flood Control
It was 1997 when construction of the tunnel wrapped up. Less than a year later, a flood tore through the area and the tunnel performed exactly as it was designed to. Downtown San Antonio came out mostly unscathed. The tunnel uses gravity to push water through the tunnel and into the river channel south of the city center.
What the Tunnel Doesn’t Protect
The tunnel doesn’t provide any sort of drainage for Beitel Creek on the Northeast Side or Leon Creek to the west. And low water crossings scattered around Bexar County are at constant risk of flooding. At Ellis Insurance Agency, we get questions all the time about how flood insurance works in TX.
Your Homeowners Insurance Doesn’t Cover Flood Damage
Texas homeowners policies don’t cover damage from flooding. As of January 2020, the state requires insurers to provide written notice when they issue or renew residential policies.
Flood insurance has to be bought separately. You can go through the National Flood Insurance Program or buy your own coverage from a private carrier. It takes 30 days to take effect.
Know Where the Water’s Going in San Antonio
A flood map can tell you what your lender requires. But they don’t tell you where runoff is going to travel. At Ellis Insurance Agency, we’ve seen plenty of flooded Texas homes that sit outside an official flood zone. Get in touch with us today to walk through your policy and see what kind of coverage you have
