Hundreds of newly released 911 audio files have laid bare the sheer terror and desperation of victims caught in catastrophic flooding that struck the Texas Hill Country on July 4, 2025. The recordings, made public on Friday 5 December, provide a chilling minute-by-minute account of the disaster that killed more than 100 people in a single county five months ago.
Midnight Desperation: Trapped in Attics and Cabins
As torrential rain swelled the Guadalupe River in the early hours of the morning, emergency dispatchers in Kerr County were inundated with calls from terrified residents. One man, trapped in his home on Highway 39 with water three feet deep, pleaded for any assistance available. "I need everything sir," he told the dispatcher, his voice filled with panic. "I've got children here. I am afraid this is all going to go." Following the dispatcher's instructions to seek higher ground, he was heard urging his family into the attic.
The situation was equally dire at Camp Mystic, an all-girls summer camp. A staff member, calling just before 4 a.m., begged for immediate rescue as water surrounded their building. "There is water everywhere, we cannot move," she said, confusion and fear evident in her voice. When asked what to do if the water rose above their room, the dispatcher could only advise going to the highest point possible, admitting she did not know when help would arrive.
Minutes later, another call from the camp captured screams in the background as a woman reported a wall had been destroyed. "We need help," she said frantically. The floodwaters claimed the lives of 25 girls, two teenage counsellors, and the camp's owner.
Individual Struggles for Survival
The calls chronicle individual battles against the rising water. One man reported being stuck in a room with water almost up to his head, a broken window allowing the deluge to rush in. "I can't get out," he yelled. The dispatcher's advice was grimly simple: "try to keep your head above the water."
At a home on Highway 39, a family huddled in an attic as water threatened to overtake the windows. A woman on the call sobbed, "We're gonna die. I have an infant. She can't hold her breath." The dispatcher could only reiterate that rescue units were doing all they could.
One of the most harrowing recordings is from Bradley Perry, a firefighter himself, who called at 5 a.m. after becoming stranded in a leaning tree on the Guadalupe River. He calmly stated, "I'm going to die if I don't get a helicopter." He explained he had seen his wife, Tina Perry, and their RV washed away, fearing she was already dead. Bradley Perry did not survive. His wife was later found alive, clinging to a tree downstream.
A Community's Frantic Response and Lasting Trauma
The calls also reveal the efforts of neighbours and the overwhelming pressure on emergency services. A woman living near Camp Mystic reported finding two young girls who had come down the river, taking them into her home while worrying about how many others were still out there.
As dawn approached, the desperation grew. A woman called at 6:10 a.m. to report her children were trapped inside an RV trailer that was being carried away by the force of the water. "It's moving," she said. "A car parked next to it has disappeared." When the dispatcher said help was coming "as soon as possible," the caller became irate, demanding assistance "Now!" repeatedly before the call disconnected.
The release of these hundreds of 911 audio files provides a raw and unfiltered glimpse into the chaos of that July morning. They underscore the speed and ferocity of the flash flooding in Kerr County and the impossible choices faced by both victims and first responders during one of Texas's deadliest natural disasters.