I-Team: Napa earthquake 911 tapes released

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Nerves were shaken as buildings rattled and crumbled. The ABC7 News I-Team got to listen to the dramatic 911 calls placed just moments after a devastating Napa Earthquake.

On the calls you can hear the terror in people's voices and while the damage was significant, there is help on the way.

Thursday evening, President Barack Obama officially declared the quake a major disaster and ordered federal aid for Napa and Solano counties. The Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, is still surveying the damage and may recommend even more resources.

Late Thursday, Napa police released recordings of 911 calls that came in, within the first 30 minutes after the earthquake hit on Aug. 24, 2014 at 3:20 a.m. This comes in response to a public records request from the ABC7 News I-Team.

You can hear the fear and confusion residents felt, as they woke up to find their homes and businesses badly damaged in some cases.

After the I-Team asked for the 911 calls, police took three weeks to go over the recordings and delete personal information of the callers. So now, we can finally hear the first-hand accounts of people trapped, needing help with their injuries and others in serious danger.

The flood of calls started immediately after the 6.0 jolt.

Woman 1: "My house just shook."

Dispatcher: "Yes, we had an earthquake. Do you have any injuries or damage to report?"

Woman 1: "I don't know, I'm in the dark, my son's here, my grandmother she's elderly."

Dispatcher: "Call us back if you determine you have injuries or damage."

Woman 1: "I don't know!"

Dispatcher: "When you figure it out, call me back."

The dispatchers have to prioritize the calls to separate those who are just reacting to the shaking, versus those with injuries or are in imminent danger.

Caller: "There's a strong odor of gas."

Dispatcher: "Is there a rupture or just the smell?"

Caller: "It's just a smell but I think it was a ruptured, we just had an earthquake and the house fell."

Woman 2: "I can't get out of my apartment. There's stuff in front of both doors in the way."

Dispatcher: "Are you injured?"

Woman 2: "I can't move them."

Dispatcher: "Are you injured?"

Woman 2: "I... I... I'm kind of worried about my heart, I'm truly frightened."

Dispatcher: "OK. Take a deep breath for me, I'm going to go ahead and get help started."

Most of the area is in darkness because the power's out, but fires light the predawn darkness.

Woman 3: "A transformer exploded in the dry brush, it's really big."

Dispatcher: "And it's a really big fire?"

Woman 3: "Yeah."

Dispatcher: "How big is the fire?"

Woman 3: "It's really big. I mean, I'm not sure how to explain it. It's just getting bigger."

The worst fire was at the mobile home park.

Woman in mobile home park: "We have a fire."

Dispatcher: "OK, what's on fire?"

Woman in mobile home park: "A home is on fire in the Napa Valley Park off of Solano and Orchard."

Dispatcher: "We'll get the fire department started, is it a one-story or two-story?"

Woman in mobile home park: "It's a one-story, It's a mobile park."

The dispatchers show tremendous grace under pressure.

Male Operator: "I believe she's trapped in the house, the caller's on the line."

Frantic older lady: "I'm trapped in my bedroom I can't get out."

The dispatchers helped comfort frantic callers and calming them until help can arrive.

Dispatcher: "I'm going to let the fire department know that you're there, but it's going to be a little bit before they can get out there, I want you to take a deep breath and I want you to know it's going to be OK and we're going to be there OK?"

Older lady: "I feel like I'm going to throw up."

Dispatcher: "I understand. You need to take deep breaths, OK? Long deep breaths."

Older lady: "I can't even call my daughter, her phone doesn't work either."

We also heard the call from the family of the boy whose pelvis was crushed by a fireplace and a report of a man in an intersection yelling that "the devil was coming to get him." There were all sorts of reactions that day.

Hear all of the 911 tapes released here: