A man clinging to a tree on the Guadalupe River screams for a helicopter rescue while a father hustles his family into an attic to avoid rising waters. Five months after catastrophic flooding killed more than 100 people in Kerr County, Texas, hundreds of released 911 audio files provide insight into the terror and chaos that prevailed during the July 4 disaster.
3:49 a.m. A terrified caller reports that his home is flooded, urging for immediate assistance. I need everything, sir. My house is so flooded. The water is three feet up. I’ve got children here. I just need someone to be aware. I’m afraid it’s all going to go, he pleads as the dispatcher advises him to get to higher ground.
3:58 a.m. A woman from Camp Mystic begs for rescue, expressing confusion about how to escape the rising waters. If the water will be higher than the room, what should we do? she asks desperately. Her calls reflect the sheer panic as she realizes the danger posed by the rapidly rising floodwaters.
A short time later, screams are heard in the background while another caller reports that walls have been destroyed, intensifying the urgency of the situation as the flood already claimed the lives of 25 girls and two counselors from Camp Mystic.
4:19 a.m. Another woman near the camp relays that two little girls have been rescued but fears for many others who may still be trapped. Meanwhile, a man trapped in a building fights to stay above the rising water, his voice filled with panic.
Throughout the morning, callers report dire situations: a woman trapped in a failing building, families in attics, and frantic pleas for faster food and water rescues. One firefighter trapped in a tree pleads for a helicopter, fearing for his life, while his wife is swept away, later found clinging to another tree, alive.
As the sun rises on this devastating day, the audio taps continue to uncover the frantic call for help that characterized the flooding in Kerr County, which has left deep scars on the community.
