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San Antonio, officially the City of San Antonio, is the seventh-most populous city in the United States, second largest city in the Southern United States, and the second-most populous city in Texas. Founded as a Spanish mission and colonial outpost in 1718, the city became the first chartered civil settlement in present-day Texas in 1731. The area was still part of the Spanish Empire, and later of the Mexican Republic.[1]

Coverage[]

San Antonio is featured in Roads to Nowhere.

SanAntonioRiverWalk

The abandoned River Walk.

The city is introduced in 2 months after people when the San Antonio River streams peacefully through the abandoned River Walk. Once packed office towers and hotels look down over empty barges waiting for travelers who will never show. Steven Schauer stated that the San Antonio River essentially created the city of San Antonio. The river has attracted mankind for centuries, but after people, the tide is about to turn. Steven Schauer stated that the river is highly engineered. All that stands between the river and the destruction of the city is a steady rain, something that's all too common in Texas. Steven Schauer stated that while the Midwest has Tornado Alley, Texas have Flash Flood Alley running up I-35 from San Antonio all the way to Dallas. The region has warm moist air drifting inland from the Gulf Coast collides with cooler dry air sweeping in from the north setting up central Texas with frequent rainstorms and resulting half of the top 12 world records for rainfall in 48 originate in Flash Flood Alley. Steven Schauer stated that the first rain event that would occur after people would make the downtown area of the River Walk to be the first casualty.

The buildings at the River Walk stand level with the San Antonio River with some 15 feet below the surrounding downtown streets. At the entrance of the River Walk where the San Antonio River bends into downtown, a three ton floodgate stands guard. Steven Schauer shows the floodgate with a groove that'll hold the gate door as it comes down. He continues without people, there would be no one to lower the gate during a rain event. A burst of rain inundated downtown with up to 10 feet of water in 1921, killing 50 people. Steven Schauer shows the river being five to six inches at its lowest point below the sidewalk. He continues that it wouldn't take much rain to raise the water level in the area and begin flooding out all the restaurants, hotel spaces, and business spaces. Above the River Walk at street level is the Alamo, the oldest building in the city, whom silently awaits the assault.

Towerlifebuilding-50

Downtown San Antonio after 50 years.

In 50 years after people, repeated rains have spawned cycles of flooding along the River Walk causing the waterlogged foundations leave the buildings tilting at odd angles as silt and sand inundate the area. Steven S. Ross calls it death by inches where it happens slowly and insidiously. He continues that the river itself would flood over and over again that would bring a lot of silt and sand to cover part of the area causing the buildings to sink unevenly into it and settle. Eventually, the lean is too much for one of the buildings, the Tower Life Building, where it then falls into the river it once overlooked. At the Alamo, the facade continues to stare back untouched on its elevated perch on the city's street level but like oaks is attacking the compound from within. Without people to redirect the massive limbs, the trees begin to demolish the Alamo's walls. Bruce Winders stated that a lot of the oak trees continue to grow and some point, crush the wall. He continues that it drop acorns which bring wildlife where it would bring seeds.

Alamo200Years

The Alamo after 200 years.

In 200 years after people, the San Antonio River has swallowed the city. Steven S. Ross stated that the whole downtown San Antonio area will be little hills and little remnants of buildings. Meanwhile, the Alamo is still standing, but only barely. Years of uncontrolled tree growth have the structure in a death grip. There's no one to remember the Alamo and more importantly, no one to care of it, as its foundation collapse.

Transformation[]

SanAntonioRuins

San Antonio after 200 years.

The transformation of San Antonio is straightforward in Roads to Nowhere in 200 years after people where the San Antonio River, the river that essentially created San Antonio, has swallowed the city. A quote from Steven S. Ross stated that the whole downtown San Antonio area would be little hills and little remnants of the buildings. The city itself once the transformation is finished might turned into a forest.

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References[]

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