Residents at The Point apartment complex woke up to discover their vehicles underwater in the parking garage at the student complex.
Thunder clouds began booming around 11:30 p.m. March 27 releasing rain throughout the night into the morning of March 28 when the National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for the day. The rain ceased by noon and a light drizzle followed.
San Marcos’ history of flooding prepared students who wore rain boots and carried umbrellas to campus. Buses continued to run, classes ran on schedule and the commuters drove through downtown streets as usual.
For students who moved into The Pointe last year the morning was spent filing insurance claims on totaled cars, trucks and destroyed personal belongings lost to the bottom floor of their parking garage which turned into a lake overnight.
University Emergency Services drove to the complex at 417 North Comanche St. around 11:40 a.m. joining window repair vehicles to assess damages and talk to student residents.
Residents Ragan Box, forensic science senior and Omar Salinas, economics junior, discovered the flood when Box woke up early for a class. Box parked on a higher level than Salinas. Box ran back to her apartment to tell her boyfriend that his BMW was almost entirely underwater with the trunk open and his shoes were floating around the area to other cars.
“We filed the insurance claim and the incident report,” Box said. “We have to wait on (The Pointe) first. I haven’t been able to talk to any management because they’re in-between management, but people in the office gave me a piece of paper to fill out.”
Salinas stood in the garage all morning looking for his’ shoes and taking photos from across a steel barrier while Box collected sandbags to put against the patio door.
“There is no lining on our door so you can see the light from outside,” Box said. “It wasn’t an issue until now so we are hoping the sandbags keep the water out of our place.”
The bottom floor of the garage remained unreachable. Students climbed barriers to the floor directly above and watched the water stand still.
Flash flood leaves city by noon, but destroys vehicles in The Pointe’s garage.
Jordan Kress, a business management junior, drove a platinum Ford F-150 he bought the summer before when he worked with his father in construction. He parked it on the bottom floor across from Salinas. He discovered the flood at 9 a.m. when a friend sent him a video.
“I’ve had multiple problems in this garage,” Kress said. “I don’t know if it passed all inspections but I’ve had debris fall on my truck from pipes that cut through the (ceiling’s) base layer in February.”
Kress said he has waited on a reply from representatives of The Pointe since he filed a claim for damages in February. He said he expects his engine is full of water and his truck is likely totaled.
“I have full insurance coverage, but the deductible is $1,000,” Kress said. “I’ll still be underwater on the payments so-to-say. I’m probably going to owe more than they’ll give me. Maintenance has been down here but I haven’t seen any Pointe employees. ”
Salinas stood with Kress and other residents discussing how the flood could have occurred. The two said they were frustrated with the complex because they were forced to move in late in the fall and they pay $40 per month for parking, but now their vehicles are ruined.
“I’ve had that 2017 BMW for three months,” Salinas said. “I just hope that it gets taken care of.”
It is unclear how the bottom floor of garage flooded and retained water, and who will be held responsible.
A representative of The Pointe said as of 11:24 a.m. March 28, employees of the complex were unable to provide comment on the situation.