As flash flooding swept through Waukesha County early Sunday morning, desperate calls poured into the 911 dispatch center from residents and drivers caught in rapidly rising waters.
"We're flooded in and I have my 1-year-old kid and the water is starting to get really high. I'm in here freaking out and I don't know how to swim," one caller told dispatchers. "Please if y'all could get here," she pleaded.
The overnight storm created dangerous conditions across the area, with many people becoming stranded in their vehicles as water levels rose with alarming speed.
"Oh my God, oh my God people are about to get stuck," one caller warned dispatchers.
Watch: 911 calls reveal moments of panic during Waukesha County flash flooding
In response to the emergency, dispatchers calmly instructed those trapped in vehicles to climb onto the roofs of their cars while waiting for rescue teams to arrive.
Mason Burg was among those caught in the dangerous conditions around 2 a.m. Sunday when he was driving friends home.
"Right when we opened the door, that's when the water filled up to the seats and passed so we were already soaking wet, knees below," Burg said.
TMJ4's Megan Lee listened back to recordings of the 911 calls with Burg.
"It was scary at first. Ya know that's kinda why I called 911. I was like someone is gonna make me feel a little bit better on the other line so that was the first instinct," Burg said.
Throughout the emergency, dispatchers maintained a reassuring presence for callers facing potentially life-threatening situations.
"You don't need to apologize. Trust me I'm the same way but you didn't ask for this. You didn't mean to get yourself in this situation," the dispatcher told the caller.
This story was reported by Megan Lee and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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