KERR COUNTY, Texas — As floodwaters surged through Kerr County before dawn on July 4, 911 dispatchers fielded frantic calls from residents trapped along the Guadalupe River — pleas for help that underscored the speed and ferocity of a disaster that left 119 people dead.

The 911 calls released by Kerr County to media organizations Friday morning. The recordings reveal new details about public and official reaction in the early morning hours when the Guadalupe River rose to dangerous levels during intense rain.

“The water is coming up really high. Like, uh, really quick and I just wanted to alert you all," said Scott Towery, manager of River Inn Resort, who called in just before 3 a.m. that morning. "We’ve got about 130 people out on site. And uh, that’s a big flood coming.”

Towery warn

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