Harrowing 911 Calls Reveal Terror of Deadly Texas Flood
A release of over 20 hours of emergency calls paints a chilling picture of the catastrophic flooding that swept through Texas Hill Country on July 4, revealing desperate pleas for help and the escalating panic as waters rose.
Heartbreaking audio recordings released by the Kerrville Police Department offer a minute-by-minute account of the deadly floods that claimed 136 lives, including young children at summer camp. CNN is among the news organizations listening to the recordings, which trace the unfolding emergency as residents faced rapidly rising waters.
The earliest calls, beginning in the overnight hours, signaled the growing danger. Scott Towery, general manager of the River Inn Resort, contacted authorities at 2:52 a.m. CT to report that over 100 guests were on the property as the Guadalupe River surged. A follow-up call moments later revealed his mounting concern, comparing the flood to the devastating event of 1998.
“We’ve got about 130 people out on site and a big flood coming. We’re waking them up now,” Towery told the dispatcher. “Our dam went under water two and a half hours ago … It’s really high, like the 1998-flood-type high.”
The situation quickly deteriorated. One particularly haunting call consisted of little more than an open line, punctuated by the sound of rushing water. Dispatchers listened helplessly, grappling with the realization that callers were in immediate peril. As the night progressed, pleas for rescue became increasingly frantic, with dispatchers struggling to maintain composure while urging residents to seek higher ground.
“We cannot,” one terrified caller responded. “There’s water everywhere. We cannot move. We are right upstairs in a room and the water levels rising.”
Together, the 911 calls create a harrowing portrait of a night where the speed of the rising water outpaced rescue efforts. Authorities have warned that the unredacted calls are “highly distressing,” particularly for those directly impacted by the tragedy.
“Some callers did not survive. We ask that you keep them and their family members, loved ones and friends in your thoughts and prayers,” Kerrville Police Chief Chris McCall said in a statement released Thursday.
The initial calls possessed an eerie calm, with residents sensing the rising water but not yet comprehending the scale of the impending disaster. This sense of foreboding quickly gave way to terror as the situation escalated.
Listen to the first 911 call when deadly flooding began in Texas: https://www.cnn.com/videos/us/texas-flooding-911-call-kerrville-sot-vpx-0705.cnn
The flash flooding, which occurred in the early hours of July 4, saw the Guadalupe River swell from approximately 3 feet to nearly 30 feet in just 45 minutes. Only two staff members were on duty at the Kerrville Police Department Telecommunications Center when the first calls began arriving at 2:52 a.m., quickly overwhelming the system.
Dispatchers repeatedly urged callers to move to higher ground as deputies attempted to reach those in need. The uncertainty of the situation, and the limitations of the response, are palpable in the recordings.
“We just needed somebody to know that we were here,” one caller conveyed to a dispatcher.
Over the next six hours, dispatchers answered a total of 435 calls, including over 100 between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m. The release of the 911 calls is a result of Freedom of Information Act requests, according to Chief McCall. In some instances, calls were transferred to neighboring dispatch centers to manage the overwhelming volume.
Faced with an impossible situation, dispatchers were sometimes forced to disconnect calls after obtaining essential information, prioritizing the need to reach as many people as possible.
“I’m immensely proud of our telecommunications operators,” McCall stated. “These public safety team members showed incredible perseverance as they faced high call volumes and did their best to provide assistance and comfort to every caller.”
The City of Kerrville acknowledged that the release of the 911 calls would evoke strong emotions, but emphasized that it represents an opportunity for the community to reaffirm its unity and resilience. The police chief also encouraged those struggling with the aftermath of the tragedy to seek support, noting that all members of the police department have participated in peer support meetings.
The local emergency response has faced scrutiny, with some community members alleging that officials were unprepared for the severity of the weather event. Of the 136 flood victims, over 100 perished in Kerr County, where the Guadalupe River reached a height of 30 feet after receiving the equivalent of four months’ worth of rainfall in a matter of hours. The devastating floodwaters caused widespread damage to homes and recreational areas, including several summer camps.
Tragically, 25 girls and two counselors were swept away from Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian camp situated along the Guadalupe River. Families of more than a dozen victims have filed lawsuits against the camp and its owners. In response, Texas lawmakers enacted new camp safety laws in September, aimed at addressing gaps in disaster preparedness and streamlining emergency response procedures. The owners of Camp Mystic have stated their intention to exceed these new requirements when a portion of the camp reopens next summer, according to The Associated Press.
Listen to a haunting 911 call where only an open line can be heard: https://www.cnn.com/videos/us/texas-flooding-911-call-open-line-sot-vpx-0705.cnn
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available. CNN’s Amanda Jackson contributed to this report from Kerrville, Texas.
