Tavia Hunt, wife of Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt, has confirmed the tragic death of a young family member in the devastating Texas floods that have claimed at least 82 lives so far, including 28 children.
“Our hearts are shattered.”
In a deeply emotional Instagram post, Tavia Hunt shared the heartbreaking news that their young cousin, 9-year-old Janie Hunt, was among the victims of the devastating floods at Camp Mystic a historic all-girls Christian summer camp on the Guadalupe River in Wimberley, Texas.
“We are heartbroken by the destruction in Wimberley and the unimaginable loss of so many lives including our precious little cousin Janie, and several young daughters of close friends,” wrote Tavia Hunt, wife of Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt.
She added with raw honesty:
“How do we trust a God who is meant to be good, all-knowing, and all-powerful… yet allows such heartbreaking tragedies even to innocent children?”
“That is a sacred and deeply personal question,” Tavia continued. “And it’s one the Bible does not ignore. Scripture echoes with the cries of people whose hearts were shattered people who still struggled to trust the very God they believed had allowed their suffering.”
Janie Hunt described as bright-eyed, full of life, and impossibly sweet was the great-granddaughter of billionaire oil tycoon William Herbert Hunt, and grand-niece of Lamar Hunt, founder of the Kansas City Chiefs. She was also the cousin of current team owner Clark Hunt.
The tragedy struck early Friday, when the Guadalupe River rose nearly 30 feet above its normal level, overwhelming Camp Mystic a historic all-girls Christian camp nestled along its banks in Wimberley, Texas. Over 750 campers were present when the floodwaters surged through. The youngest girls, sleeping in lower cabins closer to the river, were hit hardest. Many remain missing.
Among the confirmed dead is the camp’s longtime and beloved director, Richard “Dick” Eastland, 70, who is believed to have died heroically while trying to save the girls. Just days earlier, the camp had shared joyful footage of children laughing and performing in a cheerful chorus and dance routine unaware of the heartbreak that was to come.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has declared Sunday a statewide day of prayer, urging Texans to unite in remembrance and hope. “For the lives lost, for those still missing, and for the safety of our first responders, we ask Texans to join us in prayer,” he said. The governor also pledged a full investigation into the tragedy to determine what went wrong.
So far, emergency crews have rescued more than 850 people some found desperately clinging to trees as floodwaters surged. Search and rescue operations are still underway, supported by eight helicopters and a high-tech MQ-9 Reaper drone scanning the devastated region for survivors.
However, growing concerns have emerged about the timing and effectiveness of the warnings. Although the National Weather Service issued a flood watch on Thursday and followed with a flash flood warning early Friday morning, local officials argue that alerts came too late to protect the most vulnerable especially in Kerr County, one of the hardest-hit areas.
“This wasn’t a failure in forecasting,” meteorologist Matt Lanza told the Texas Tribune. “It was a failure in communication. The warnings simply didn’t reach people in time.”
Concerns are also mounting over the state of federal preparedness. Reports indicate that the National Weather Service office overseeing the affected region was understaffed due to previous job cuts made during the Trump administration. Notably, a critical role the warning coordination meteorologist had remained unfilled since April.
When questioned about whether those staffing cuts impacted the disaster response, former President Donald Trump initially deflected, saying, “That was really the Biden setup,” before walking back the comment. “But I wouldn’t blame Biden either. This is a 100-year catastrophe.”
Amid the ongoing fallout, the state’s emergency management agency is pressing forward with rescue and recovery efforts. An internal estimate obtained by the Daily Mail suggests the final death toll could exceed 100.
