EMERGENCY FLOOD RELIEF: Just 45 minutes ago, Dolly Parton shared that she, along with Reba McEntire, has joined efforts to provide aid and search for the missing. They are calling on the public to help locate the remaining missing loved ones of Ms. Sherry McCutcheon.

Daughters Share Mother’s Final Voicemail Urging Them Not to Panic Before She Died in Texas Flood

Travis County, TX — As floodwaters engulfed central Texas over the Fourth of July weekend, a mother’s final words to her daughters were not of fear, but of reassurance. Betty West, one of the more than 100 victims confirmed dead in the catastrophic floods, left a haunting voicemail telling her daughters to “quit panicking” as water began overtaking her home on Windy Valley Road in Travis County.

“She didn’t want us to be scared,” said Terry Traugott, who, along with her sister Sherry McCutcheon, shared the details of their mother’s last call with ABC affiliate KVUE. The message came just after midnight on Saturday, July 5—shortly before the house began to break apart under the force of the flood.

Their brothers, Doug West and Gary Traugott, who lived with Betty, are still missing. According to Sherry, Doug sent a chilling final text not long after Betty’s voicemail. “He said the house was cracking apart,” she recalled. “And he said it would ‘be a blessing’ if they made it through.”

Sadly, they did not. On Sunday night, July 6, Betty’s body was identified through fingerprinting, confirming what the family had feared. Her home—now reduced to debris—was completely destroyed in the flooding. Doug and Gary have not yet been found.

“They stayed with her until the end,” Sherry said through tears. “Even if it meant their life.”

Despite the devastating loss, the sisters have not given up hope. They continue searching for their brothers with the help of volunteers and authorities, though their voices betray the weight of grief they carry. “They have to come home,” Terry pleaded. “Please bring my brothers home, please.”

The Texas flood disaster has so far claimed more than 100 lives, with dozens still missing across multiple counties. In Kerr County alone, 84 bodies have been recovered—28 of them children. Among the dead are 27 campers and counselors from Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian summer camp that was overwhelmed by flash flooding on July 4.

For families like the Wests and Traugotts, each recovered life brings both hope and heartbreak, a reminder of those still lost—and of those whose final acts were rooted in love, courage, and unshakable family bonds.