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CITY GUIDES/TEXAS/SAN ANTONIO

SAN ANTONIO EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS GUIDE

Prepare for emergencies
in San Antonio.

Plan for flash flooding, extreme heat, severe storms and winter outages. Find road-closure resources, CPS Energy and SAWS contacts, local weather charts and household planning tools.

Bexar County · Texas

Build my household plan →Find evacuation resources →
San Antonio skyline
BEXAR COUNTYSan Antonio,
Texas
A view of San Antonio. Historical city photograph; see source credit for the original date.
Photo: Jonathan Cutrer from San Angelo, United States · credit and license

This guide covers San Antonio, primarily in Bexar County. Verify your county and utility provider for your address. Airport averages and county resources describe a wider area than any one neighborhood. Historical data and planning tools; check official sources for current conditions.

View sources ↗

CHOOSE A STARTING POINT

What do you need to prepare?

Plan for evacuationFind zone lookup, transport, and assistance resources.Review your options →Prepare your householdCalculate water, make a checklist, and save your plan.Build your plan →Understand the seasonsLong summer heat, spring and fall rain, and occasional disruptive freezes.Explore local weather →
All sections ↑My household plan →

01 / UNDERSTAND LOCAL RISKS

San Antonio weather by month

See the long hot season and the months that receive more rain on average. Flash flooding can happen outside those wetter months.

San Antonio International Airport · NOAA 1991–2020

Monthly averages, not a forecast. Rainfall includes the water equivalent of precipitation. Days reaching 90°F are not heat-index days.

Read all monthly values
MonthHigh °FLow °FRain inchesDays ≥90°F
January63.3411.960
February67.545.11.740.2
March73.851.82.310.5
April80.358.42.423.2
May86.666.44.411.8
June92.472.73.2824
July94.974.72.4128.5
August9674.92.1528.8
September90.169.63.8819.7
October82.260.43.755.6
November71.749.82.080.1
December64.742.420

May rainfall

May averages 4.40 inches at the airport in the 1991–2020 record. Prepare alternate road routes before spring storms.

Long summer heat

Average daily highs exceed 90°F from June through September. Include a place with working air conditioning in your outage plan.

Winter still matters

A mild monthly average can hide a short, severe freeze. Keep winter supplies and utility contacts ready before the forecast changes.

Download the station data ↗

02 / UNDERSTAND LOCAL RISKS

Check low-water crossings before you drive

A short trip can become dangerous when water covers a crossing. Save the official closure resources for the routes you use.

Before heavy rain

Use the city’s street-closure page to reach emergency closure information and Bexar Flood. Decide on a route that avoids low crossings.

When water covers the road

Turn around. Do not use the depth you remember, a familiar curb or another driver’s attempt to decide that a crossing is safe.

If your usual route closes

Wait in a safe place or use a confirmed dry alternative. A navigation app’s suggested shortcut may also cross a creek.

Check emergency street closures ↗ · Read city flood guidance ↗

Closure maps are useful but cannot show every changing hazard immediately. Never drive or walk into floodwater or pass a barricade.

03 / UNDERSTAND LOCAL RISKS

Make a cooling plan before a power outage

Prepare a destination and a ride, especially for anyone whose home gets hot quickly or who needs powered equipment.

Check the city’s hot-weather resources for cooling options. Confirm current hours, accessibility and pet rules directly. Choose a second destination in case the first closes or also loses power.

At home

Arrange cooling-equipment maintenance and keep drinking water available. Write down the small devices that need backup charging.

Away from home

Plan shade, water and a cooler part of the day for outdoor tasks. Check the forecast before waiting outside for a ride.

For the household

Agree on a check-in routine. Discuss medical equipment backup with the equipment provider before an outage.

Find city heat resources ↗

A portable fan or small battery is not a substitute for an air-conditioned place when your home becomes unsafe.

04 / UNDERSTAND LOCAL RISKS

Keep CPS Energy and SAWS plans separate

Electricity and water interruptions need different contacts and supplies. Confirm both providers on your bills.

Illuminated downtown San Antonio buildings and streets at night
A local view of San Antonio. Landscape context, not a photograph of an active emergency.Photo: Corey Leopold · CC BY 2.0

CPS Energy

Save 210-353-4357 and the outage center. Update account contact details if you want utility outage notifications.

SAWS

For a water or sewer emergency, call 210-704-7297 and press 1. Check the water outage map if service stops unexpectedly.

Household reserve

Store drinking water before an outage. Follow any official water-use or boil-water notice for your address; a restored tap does not by itself cancel an advisory.

Open CPS Energy’s outage center ↗ · Open SAWS reporting and outage resources ↗

05 / UNDERSTAND LOCAL RISKS

Prepare for a freeze before roads become icy

Keep a warm destination, drinking water and lighting in the plan even when most winter days are mild.

Use the city’s cold-weather page for places to stay warm and current winter instructions. Libraries and community facilities generally operate on their own schedules; confirm a location is open before leaving.

Ask your property manager or a qualified plumber how to prepare vulnerable plumbing. Check smoke and carbon-monoxide alarms, charge lights, and keep warm layers accessible. Never heat a home with a grill or cooking stove.

Find winter resources and warming locations ↗ · Check VIA service alerts ↗

06 / UNDERSTAND LOCAL RISKS

Choose shelter and evacuation options in advance

Your storm shelter and your flood evacuation destination may be different places.

For a tornado warning, use a small interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building, away from windows. Mobile-home residents need a sturdy destination and enough time to reach it before the storm arrives. For flooding, follow local instructions and avoid routes through water.

Write down an out-of-neighborhood meeting place, a ride and an alternate route. Check VIA alerts if transit is part of the plan. City alerts include accessible notification options; choose methods that work for your household.

Review tornado shelter guidance ↗ · Find local alert options ↗

07 / BUILD YOUR EMERGENCY PLAN

Build your San Antonio household plan

Choose your household size, supply duration and housing type. Save a checklist and download local contacts with your plan.

Water bottles, first-aid kit, flashlight, radio and other supplies laid out on a table
Lay out your supplies before using the checklist below. Illustrative supplies, not a complete emergency kit.Photo: Roger Brown · Pexels license
  1. 1Enter household details
  2. 2Review water and tasks
  3. 3Download your plan

STARTING WATER RESERVE

14gallons

2 people × 7 days × 1 gallon per day

For people only; add pet and individual needs.

Your household checklist

0 of 6 complete

Tracks these tasks only, not a safety score. Choices stay in this browser.

Saved only on this device

The seven-day setting is a planning scenario. Start with at least one gallon of water per person per day; increase it for heat, pets and individual needs. Read water-storage guidance ↗

Keep a portable bag separate from your home reserve. Add medication instructions, accessibility needs and meeting places to the downloaded worksheet. The checklist tracks tasks you mark; it does not measure whether your home is safe.

08 / BUILD YOUR EMERGENCY PLAN

A monthly San Antonio preparation checklist

Choose a month for three practical tasks. These are suggested reminders, not a forecast or a restriction on when hazards can happen.

    Read the full year’s checklist

    January — Keep winter contacts handy

    • Save CPS Energy and SAWS emergency numbers.
    • Choose a warm backup destination.
    • Check smoke and carbon-monoxide alarms.

    February — Prepare for a late freeze

    • Ask about vulnerable plumbing.
    • Keep drinking water stored.
    • Review road closures before travel.

    March — Review severe-weather shelter

    • Choose a sturdy interior room.
    • Test weather radio reception.
    • Arrange early transport if you live in a mobile home.

    April — Check low-water crossings

    • Identify crossings on your usual routes.
    • Save the city’s emergency closure page.
    • Practice an alternate route in dry weather.

    May — Prepare before wetter weather

    • Check the forecast before travel.
    • Keep the portable bag accessible.
    • Review where to go if your route floods.

    June — Confirm the cooling plan

    • Check city cooling resources and hours.
    • Arrange a ride and backup.
    • Charge communication devices.

    July — Maintain heat supplies

    • Check stored drinking water.
    • Confirm pet access at your backup destination.
    • Contact someone who may need help staying cool.

    August — Plan for extended heat

    • Review medical-device backup with the provider.
    • Refresh no-cook food.
    • Check utility contact details.

    September — Review flood and storm routes

    • Save VIA service alerts.
    • Check alternate routes around crossings.
    • Replace supplies used during summer.

    October — Refresh alert settings

    • Check local and utility notifications.
    • Test radio batteries.
    • Update household meeting places.

    November — Prepare for cold weather

    • Arrange heating maintenance if needed.
    • Review pipe protection with qualified help.
    • Record a warm place you can reach.

    December — Update the paper plan

    • Confirm CPS Energy and SAWS account contacts.
    • Check travel weather.
    • Download a fresh household checklist.

    09 / USE THE TOOLS

    Estimate battery runtime for your devices

    Use the power label on each device. This calculator estimates energy use; it does not check electrical compatibility.

    A switched-on flashlight resting on a surface
    Include battery-powered lighting in your outage plan. Use the calculator below for devices you would power from a battery station.Photo: Steve A Johnson · Pexels license
    1. 1Select devices
    2. 2Adjust watts and daily hours
    3. 3Enter battery capacity
    Editable example device loads
    UseDeviceWattsHours/day

    Watts × hours gives daily watt-hours. Battery capacity × usable percentage gives estimated usable energy. Actual runtime also depends on starting surges, inverter limits, battery condition and temperature.

    A small battery may charge phones or lights, but it is not a household heating or cooling plan. Arrange a suitable place to go if your home becomes unsafe. For medical equipment, confirm backup requirements with the equipment provider.

    10 / USE THE TOOLS

    Estimate San Antonio solar output by month

    Compare the seasons before relying on a portable panel for backup charging.

    NASA POWER · 2001–2025

    The estimate uses monthly average sunlight on a horizontal surface: panel watts × daily irradiation × the percentage retained after losses. It is an approximate daily energy budget, not guaranteed output during a storm.

    Shade, nearby buildings, panel angle, temperature and charging limits change the result. Check that the panel and battery are compatible. View the underlying NASA grid data ↗

    11 / BUILD YOUR EMERGENCY PLAN

    Set up San Antonio emergency alerts

    Use local alerts and a second information source. Test reception and batteries before you need them.

    Sign up for local alerts ↗

    Bexar County · SAME county code048029

    Keep the leading zero.

    NOAA WEATHER RADIO162.550 MHz

    WXK67 · Verify reception where you will use the radio. Radio setup source ↗

    SAME filters county alerts on compatible receivers. A basic weather-band radio may only play broadcasts when switched on. Check the model before relying on automatic warnings; the county code does not identify your evacuation zone.

    12 / BUILD YOUR EMERGENCY PLAN

    Save these San Antonio contacts

    Put these links and numbers in your phone and keep a paper copy. Check your utility bill to confirm the correct provider.

    Emergency

    Call 911 for immediate danger.

    13 / UNDERSTAND LOCAL RISKS

    Local events worth planning for

    These examples show how different emergencies affect everyday life. They are not a forecast or an estimate of your address’s risk.

    2013

    Severe May flooding

    USGS documented severe flooding on May 25–26, including the San Antonio River and Salado Creek. Planning lesson: keep road decisions tied to current conditions, not the usual depth of a crossing. Read the USGS account ↗

    2021

    A prolonged winter disruption

    The NWS review describes a February 10–18 period of winter weather across South-Central Texas. Planning lesson: include water, warm shelter and several days of essential supplies. Read the regional review ↗

    14 / BUILD YOUR EMERGENCY PLAN

    Shop this guide

    Supplies selected for San Antonio’s local risks and the plans on this page. Start with what you already own.

    These are individual products, not a complete emergency kit. Compare capacity, fit and household needs before buying. Cards show the current store catalog; confirm options and availability on the product page.

    Browse all emergency supplies →

    Keep a five-gallon drinking-water container ready for SAWS interruptions; increase the total reserve for your household and heat-related needs.

    Charge phones and small devices for road-closure and utility updates. This small power station cannot replace air conditioning or household heating.

    Use a hands-free light during storm or freeze outages. Keep it charged before severe weather.

    Keep food that requires no stove or preparation water during a combined power and water interruption. Check ingredients and dietary needs.

    Carry your pet’s water and bowls when moving to a cooled or warm destination. Confirm that the location accepts pets.

    Keep compact blankets in a winter travel bag alongside warm clothing. They do not replace safe indoor shelter.

    SOURCES AND COVERAGE

    Where the San Antonio information comes from

    Independent Local Prepper guide. Sources reviewed November 2026. City, county, airport, and regional data are labeled separately. No address-level safety assessment or live alert feed is provided.

    Browse all sources and their coverage

    Photo: San Antonio Skyline at Night (12216535856).jpg by Jonathan Cutrer from San Angelo, United States, 2014-01-29 22:43. CC BY 2.0. Display cropped.

    Browse all city guides →