Police to release 911 calls from deadly Texas floods

By Taylor Romine, CNN

(CNN) — Police in Kerrville, Texas, said they are releasing hours of 911 calls from the early morning of July Fourth, when catastrophic floods swept across Texas Hill Country, devastating communities several counties and killing 136 people.

The 911 calls are being released to comply with Freedom of Information Act requests, Kerrville Police Chief Chris McCall said in a video statement Thursday. CNN is working to obtain a copy of the calls.

The chief warned the “disturbing” recordings are unredacted and will be difficult to hear, especially for families who were impacted.

“Some callers did not survive. We ask that you keep them and their family members, loved ones and friends in your thoughts and prayers,” McCall said.

Just two people were on staff at the Kerrville Police Department Telecommunications Center when 911 calls starting coming in at 2:52 a.m. on July 4, according to the chief. They answered a total of 435 calls over the next six hours, he said, including more than 100 between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m.

Some of the calls were transferred to a nearby dispatch center to help relieve the call load, as is protocol in high call volume situations, McCall added.

After dispatchers got “the basic critical information” and could no longer help over the phone, they faced “a difficult decision to disconnect and move on to the next call,” McCall said.

“I’m immensely proud of our telecommunications operators,” he said. “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 issued a statement acknowledging that the 911 calls’ release “will bring up strong emotions,” but that it “presents another moment to affirm who we are: a united, resilient community determined to recover and rebuild.”

The chief also encouraged those who have struggled with the tragedy to get support, saying all members of the police department have participated in peer support meetings.

The local emergency response to the July Fourth flooding was heavily scrutinized by the community, who alleged local officials were unprepared for the weather event that ripped the rolling countryside to shreds.

Of the 136 flood victims, more than 100 died in Kerr County, where the Guadalupe River rose to 30 feet after four months’ worth of rain fell in just hours. The raging floodwaters devastated homes and popular recreation areas, including several summer camps.

The flooding deaths include 25 girls and two counselors who were swept away from Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian camp situated along the banks of the Guadalupe River. The families of more than a dozen victims filed lawsuits against the camp and its owners last month.

In September, Texas lawmakers enacted new camp safety laws aimed at addressing gaps in disaster preparedness by strengthening requirements and streamlining the emergency response. The owners of Camp Mystic said this week they plans to exceed those requirements when a portion of the camp reopens next summer, according to the Associated Press.

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