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P U B D A T E 07-03-02 O P E R A T O R CCI

D A T E 07/03/02

T I M E 00:32

WEDNESDAY, JULY 3, 2002

M
SERVING SOUTH TEXAS SINCE 1865

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SPECIAL REPORT: SIX PAGES OF COVERAGE INSIDE

A flood of despair
Water rises along with fears of another 1998
COVERAGE HIGHLIGHTS
The forecast
Rain chances will dwindle over the next three days: Today, 60 percent Thursday, 30 percent Friday, 20 percent

Record rain
July 2002 already is the wettest July in San Antonio history. Mondays 9.52-inch rainfall surpassed the previous record for July 1 (4.07 inches in 1932) and for the month (8.29 inches in 1990).

Deaths
Two people one in San Antonio and one in Bandera have died as a result of the flooding.

Flood gauges
Charts detail crest levels for streams and rivers in South-Central Texas/8A, 10A Radar image of rainfall amounts in SouthCentral Texas/8A

ROBERT MCLEROY/STAFF

The inside stories

The Edwards Aquifer benefits from the heavy rains. Its more than 15 feet above the level that triggered water use restrictions in San Antonio last week/8A A man who was saved in a dramatic, late-night rescue says he doesnt think he should have to pay a $400 fine for driving through a low water crossing during flooding/11A The slow-moving storm system moves farther westward, turning Uvalde, Bandera and other communities into virtual islands. The Frio River rises 25 feet above its flood stage/12A

Road crews use heavy equipment at U.S. 281 at Basse Road near Quarry Market. The area was full of water Tuesday following heavy rains Monday night.

Flash flood flashback

BY CINDY TUMIEL AND KATHERINE LEAL UNMUTH
EXPRESS-NEWS STAFF WRITERS

On the Web
Visit MySanAntonio.com for the latest live images of Doppler radar and up-to-the-minute street closures.

The ghosts of 1998 stalked the Wheatley Heights neighborhood Tuesday afternoon, where Leon Haywood kept vigil by the swirling muddy waters of Salado Creek flowing just beyond his back yard on Advance Street. Its been four years, but memories still are fresh of record rains that caused the Salado to slip its banks and inundate Haywoods home with 18 inches of water. Now, as rains pounded San Antonio once again, Haywood and his neighbors began making those inevitable comparisons to the October 1998 storm. They also made plans. I dont want to be here late at night when the water raises up on me, said Haywood, 39, who said he would leave his home as soon as the water reached his back gate. It came so fast (in 1998) all I could leave with was some clothes. This time Im going to pre-pack. Wheatley Heights was one of the worst-hit areas of San Antonio in 1998, when a rare confluence of meteorological events stirred up one of the worst storms in the regions history . Rain pounded the area for two days, causing See STORM/10A

Angie Angers (right) helps daughter Angelia Angers through floodwaters from Geronimo Creek that inundated their home in the Elmwood subdivision in Seguin. The two were returning to dry land Tuesday after inspecting the structure that had about 2 feet of water inside.
TOM REEL/STAFF

S.A. may not dry out for days

BY AMY DORSETT
EXPRESS-NEWS STAFF WRITER

Storm comparison
1998 2002

Rainfall over 24-hour period Bexar County deaths Rescue calls received by San Antonio firefighters Major road closures

11.26 inches 11 400+ Part of I-35; U.S. 281 between Loop 410 and Hildebrand

9.52 inches 1 232 Parts of I-35; U.S. 281 between Loop 410 and Hildebrand; I-10 at Loop 1604
FELIPE SOTO/STAFF

The heavens provided no mercy Tuesday to a region already soaked to the bone. Much of San Antonio was paralyzed as water seeped into homes and rapids skimmed over streets, leaving motorists stranded and at least one dead in the Woodlawn Lake neighborhood. A second person was killed in Bandera County , which remained largely isolated due to flooded roads. About 360 people were forced to take refuge in Red Cross shelters in San Antonio, Uvalde, Dilley and other areas. Mayor Ed Garza and Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff requested a state disaster declaration from the governors office. More than 200 homes have been damaged. While not as pervasive as the storm in 1998 or as deadly as the Great Flood of 1921, when 50 people died, this storm broke records, too. Mondays rain alone 9.52 inches set a record for the month of July Previously the most . , rain recorded in any July was in 1990, when the city received 8.29 inches. Tuesday saw less official rain in San Antonio only 1.63 inches as of 7 p.m. but there was as See TROUBLE/8A

I NSID E T ODAY S P APE R

Germany crash: A Russian pilot ferrying children to a beach vacation had less than a minute to avoid an oncoming cargo jet/3A

Health alert: Hispanic kids have a disproportionate share of health problems that arent being treated, a new report warns/4A

No fear: Americans are urged to celebrate Fourth of July with gusto/1B

METRO

SOARING INTO HISTORY: Pilot Steve Fossetts Bud Light Spirit of Freedom balloon floats at 21,500 feet. Fossett made aviation history Tuesday, becoming the first person to fly a balloon solo around the world. See story on Page 14A.

Afghans demand U.S. be careful

Kabul irritated at civilian casualties.
D BY PAMELA CONSTABLE AND BRADLEY GRAHAM
WASHINGTON POST

TREVOR COLLENS/ASSOCIATED PRESS

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan A U.S. air assault that officials in Uruzgan province said left 40 civilians dead and at least 100 wounded has drawn the Afghan governments strongest criticism yet of American military operations here. Stronger measures and further explanations are needed to prevent
1E 1D 8G Deaths Editorials Metro/State 4B 6B 1B Movies Puzzles S.A. Life

civilian casualties in the U.S.-led effort to hunt down al-Qaida and Taliban fugitives, Foreign Minister Abdullah said Tuesday . This situation has to come to an end, he said. Mistakes ABDULLAH can take place . . . but our people should be assured every measure has been taken to avoid such incidents. Abdullah, speaking in Kabul, stressed the government wasnt pulling back from its support for U.S. anti-terror operations in Afghanistan, which began nine months ago.
3G 10G 1G Sports Stocks TV listings 1C 4E 5G

A government statement said President Hamid Karzai called on the United States and its allies to take all necessary measures to ensure that military activities to capture terrorist groups do not harm innocent Afghan civilians. Mondays incident occurred in a remote area where U.S. forces have been searching for remnants of Taliban and al-Qaida forces and where some Afghan officials said they believe Mohammed Omar, the Talibans leader, may be hiding. With details of the incident still in dispute, Afghan and U.S. officials See AFGHANS/18A
137th year, No. 272, 164 pages. Entire contents copyright 2002, San Antonio Express-News. This newspaper is recyclable.

Todays Weather
Chance of storms High 90, Low 75 Full weather report, Page 10C

From the San Antonio Express-News and KENS 5. Get personalized news and information.

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P A G E 1A

C O L O R CMYK

P U B D A T E 07-03-02 O P E R A T O R CCI

D A T E 07/03/02

T I M E 00:32