Texas Flooding: Heart-Wrenching 911 Calls Reveal Desperation During Catastrophe

Sat Dec 06 2025 04:47:37 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Newly released 911 recordings from the devastating Kerr County flooding last summer illustrate the urgent pleas for help from residents and the confusion among emergency responders, marking a tragic reminder of the disaster that claimed over 100 lives.

Emergency dispatch recordings from Kerr County, Texas, reveal the desperation of residents during last summer's catastrophic flooding, which resulted in over 136 fatalities statewide. Calls made by individuals trapped at Camp Mystic highlighted a lack of preparedness and communication barriers that intensified the tragedy. Local officials face scrutiny regarding their initial responses as survivors recount harrowing experiences amidst the chaos.

KERRVILLE, Texas — The recordings of desperate 911 calls released from the recent devastating flooding in Kerr County paint a harrowing picture of the chaos and confusion that engulfed the region last summer. The floods have been linked to over 136 fatalities across Texas, with most victims found in Kerr County, illustrating the overwhelming impact of this natural disaster.

Many residents, including those at Camp Mystic, a century-old girls' summer camp, frantically called for help as water levels rose rapidly. One woman, trapped in the camp, was heard pleading for advice amidst the rising water: If the water will be higher than the room, what should we do? Other voices echoed the same fear when she later asked, How do we get to the roof if the water is so high? Can you already send someone here? With the boats? The call log confirms that dispatchers received over 400 emergency calls within just six hours as the floodwaters began to inundate the area on July Fourth.

The disaster led to widespread grief and examination of local emergency response protocols, as many residents reported they received no warning about the impending catastrophe.

Kerr County officials, who have faced criticism, revealed that they were largely unprepared for the scale of the flood. Some officials admitted to being asleep during crucial moments, raising concerns about local emergency management strategies. As residents recounted their frantic experiences, stories pointed towards the need for improved communication and infrastructure to better handle such emergencies in the future.

The Associated Press has compiled a timeline using the recordings of these calls, testimonies from survivors, and analysis of the emergency services’ responses to offer a detailed view of the tragic events surrounding the flooding. In a chilling call, one resident described the devastating scene: We are flooding, and we have people in cabins we can’t get to. We are flooding almost all the way to the top.\

Using this information, AP aims to inform the public about the events that unfolded, stressing the importance of preparedness for future disasters.