MAURICE DUBOIS:
00:00:00
For days, we've been seeing the aftermath of the disaster, and now we have a clearer picture of how it was unfolding in real-time. Jason Allen has the new audio recordings tonight. Jason. Maurice, CodeRED is an emergency alert system that the county uses and encourages residents here to add their phone numbers to it. It can send out a message when there is a flood, a fire anytime when there's a notification that could save lives. I'm listening to the fire and EMS and the recovery operations. JASON ALLEN (VOICEOVER): John David Trolinger is the former information technology director for Kerr County. He helped install the area's CodeRED emergency alert system. When he woke up around 1:00 AM Friday, Trolinger immediately tuned in to emergency radio transmissions. Something told you it was going to be a big night. National Weather Service. It's simple. JASON ALLEN (VOICEOVER): Nearby, the Guadalupe River was rising fast, and people were in danger. EMERGENCY SERVICES (ON RECORDING): The Guadalupe is starting to come up, and Schumacher is no longer passable at this time. JASON ALLEN (VOICEOVER): Trolinger recorded the moment volunteer firefighters requested that a CodeRED alert be sent. It came as early as 4:22 AM, but dispatchers delayed, saying they needed special authorization. EMERGENCY SERVICES (ON RECORDING): Is there any way we can send a CodeRED out to our Hunt residents, asking them to find higher ground or stay home? DISPATCH (ON RECORDING): Stand by. We have to get that approved with our supervisor. JASON ALLEN (VOICEOVER): The river continued to rise. EMERGENCY SERVICES (ON RECORDING): The river is completely swollen, and there is a car with occupants in it floating down the river now. JASON ALLEN (VOICEOVER): At 5:11, as first responders jumped into the water to rescue people, still no CodeRED. EMERGENCY SERVICES (ON RECORDING): We've got one female pulled out of the water. JASON ALLEN (VOICEOVER): Some survivors report receiving a CodeRED alert at 5:30 AM, others at 6:00 AM. Trolinger said he didn't receive the alert until after 10:00 AM. I didn't know who was in dispatch. Someone should have gotten up and been there to go, OK, send the CodeRED. JASON ALLEN (VOICEOVER): County officials have been asked repeatedly during daily press conferences about the timing of the alert, but they have yet to provide an answer. This incident will be reviewed. You have my word. JASON ALLEN (VOICEOVER): The Roberson family tell us they did not receive any alerts and are lucky to be alive after flood waters forced them out of their home in the middle of the night. The family became separated, and Philip Roberson rode out the storm on the roof of their house. It's just cars floating at the house. And there's cars bouncing off the house, and I had no idea where they were. JASON ALLEN (VOICEOVER): 15-year-old Jack Roberson and his mother tried to drive away, but the water rose too fast. Jack showed us the tree he grabbed onto. JACK ROBERSON (ON RECORDING): What? I am! I can climb higher, but I'm OK. Are you high? JASON ALLEN (VOICEOVER): Recordings show Roberson's legs underwater, as muck, trees, and debris engulfed him. JACK ROBERSON (ON RECORDING): Mom, are you in a tree? There's boats coming. I had somewhere to sit, which was great. I didn't know it at the time. There was fire ants all in those trees. So everybody's bit everywhere. Our hearts go out to that family. I mean, how are they doing tonight? Lindsey Roberson is still in the hospital. She's recovering from an injury that she received that night. But she's going to be OK. Now, they also had a couple of daughters who were with their nieces. They were up at Camp Mystic. Helicopters had to airlift them out. They are all together, though, tonight.
