Hail, tornadoes, and heavy rain are recurring hazards in Bexar County

San Antonio and Bexar County get severe thunderstorms that can bring large hail, damaging winds, and tornadoes. Hailstorms are most common in spring. Hail can range from pea-sized to baseball-sized or bigger. Large hail damages roofs, vehicles, and air conditioning units. After a hailstorm, demand for roofers spikes—be careful of contractors who show up without being called.

San Antonio had catastrophic rainfall in 1921 that caused major flooding, particularly in the downtown core and the city's West Side. The Hill Country terrain makes runoff pile up fast, and flash flooding is still a major threat today. Tornadoes happen less often than hail, but they do occur.

Standard homeowners insurance usually covers hail and wind damage. Check your deductible—many Texas policies have a separate wind and hail deductible, often 1 to 2% of the home's insured value. Sign up for alerts from the National Weather Service at weather.gov/ewx (the San Antonio office) and keep a weather alert radio for overnight storms.