Latest news with #BettyWest
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Yahoo
‘We knew they were gone': Big Sandy Creek flood kills mom, two brothers still missing
TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) – Sherry McCutcheon dropped off her mom, Betty West, at home after spending July 4 together. Instead of hot dogs and hamburgers, they opted for Chinese food. 'Mama loved Chinese food,' McCutcheon said. '[It was] her last meal.' Flash flooding claimed more than 100 lives in Central Texas. Here's what we know about the victims McCutcheon had no idea that a few hours after dropping her mom off, the creek behind her house would surge. She said it flooded before, but never to the point of needing to evacuate. 'I went to sleep with the ringer off, and I woke up about three o'clock [a.m.] like I always do, and then I noticed my mama called and left a message. I [also] had two texts from my brothers, and then nothing,' she said. McCutcheon's mom, Betty, lived in the house with her two sons – McCutcheon's brothers – Gary and Doug. 'I kept calling, calling, and calling at four o'clock. I finally called 911,' she continued. McCutcheon and her sister, Terry Traugott, went to their mom's later that Saturday morning. They learned that responders could not access the house due to extreme flooding until 7 a.m., four hours after McCutcheon received her family's calls and texts. 'They couldn't get there. So that's when we found out. We knew they were gone,' McCutcheon said. Responders identified their mom's body later that day. Their two brothers are still missing, but the sisters said they don't think they survived. 'We don't feel them anymore,' Traugott said. 'We just want them back.' The sisters have come to their mama's home – a place they spent countless hours together as a family – every day since the catastrophic flood destroyed it. They've spent the time looking for mementos, such as photos and trinkets, and praying that their brothers are found soon. 'I want everybody to please pray that my brothers come home. We want my brothers,' Traugott said. At least seven people are dead and 10 others are missing following the weekend flooding in Travis County, officials said Tuesday. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Yahoo
Daughters Say Mom Told Them Not to Panic in Final Voicemail Before She Died in Texas Flood Disaster
Two sisters say their mother told them not to panic in a voicemail left shortly before she died in the Texas flood disaster Betty West's remains were identified on Sunday, July 6, according to her daughters Sherry McCutcheon and Terry Traugott Sherry told a local news outlet that her missing brother, who lived with West, sent a text message saying the house they lived in was "cracking apart" amid the floodA mom told her daughters to 'quit panicking' shortly before she died in the Texas flood disaster on the Fourth of July, which has now killed more than 100 people. Sherry McCutcheon and Terry Traugott said their mother, Betty West, is among the victims, according to ABC affiliate KVUE. Their brothers Doug West and Gary Traugott, who lived with Betty, remain missing. Terry said Betty called her and her sister just after midnight local time on Saturday, July 5, and told them in a voicemail to 'quit panicking' as floodwaters reached her home on Windy Valley Road in Travis County. A short time later, Sherry said, Doug sent a text message that said the house was 'cracking apart,' adding that it would 'be a blessing' if they survived. On the night of Sunday, July 6, Betty's remains were identified through fingerprinting, Sherry told KVUE. The mom's house is now a total loss as well. Meanwhile, Doug and Gary still have not been found. 'They stayed with her until the end, even if it meant their life,' Sherry said. But the sisters are 'not giving up' on the search for their brothers, though they suspect 'they're in heaven.' Terry said she and her sister go to sleep at night 'crying.' "They have to come home,' Terry told KVUE. 'Please bring my brothers home, please.' The death toll from the Texas flood disaster has risen above 100, according to the Associated Press and CNN. It's expected to continue to grow. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Kerr County officials reportedly said crews have found 84 people, including 28 children, in the one county. Among the dead are 27 campers and counselors with Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian camp located in Kerr County. To learn how to help support the victims and recovery efforts from the Texas floods, click here. Read the original article on People
