The Kansas City Chiefs owner's family is mourning after the catastrophic Texas floods claimed the life of a young relative.
Team owner Clark Hunt's wife, Tavia Hunt, confirmed on Instagram that Janie, a young cousin in their family, sadly died during the flooding at Camp Mystic in Wimberley.
“Our hearts are broken by the devastation from the floods in Wimberley and the tragic loss of so many lives - including a precious little Hunt cousin, along with several friend’s little girls,” she wrote.
“How do we trust a God who is supposed to be good, all knowing, and all powerful, but who allows such terrible things to happen - even to children? That is a sacred and tender question - and one the Bible doesn't shy away from," she added.
The disaster unfolded on Friday (July 4) when the Guadalupe River surged up to 30 feet above its normal level in the early morning.
The powerful surge overtook Camp Mystic, a nearly century-old Christian all-girls camp, while many campers were still asleep.
Governor Greg Abbott revealed that around 750 girls were at the camp when the water hit, leaving two dozen children unaccounted for. Most of the missing were among the camp’s youngest girls, who were sleeping in cabins near the riverbank, per the Daily Mail.
Across Texas, the flood has killed at least 82 people, with 68 of those deaths in Kerr County, including 28 children.
Among the dead is the beloved camp director Richard “Dick” Eastland, 70, who passed away while trying to save the girls.
Officials have warned that the death toll will rise as search and rescue teams continue to comb through debris and mud despite facing challenges like venomous snakes, downed power lines, and more storms forecast in the coming days.
In Kerr County alone, the 18 adults and 10 children recovered have yet to be formally identified, BBC News reported.
Texas officials, including Governor Abbott, have promised to continue searching around the clock. “It was nothing short of horrific to see what those young children went through,” he said after visiting the flood-stricken area.
Relatives of the missing have traveled from across Texas to provide DNA samples for identification, while hundreds of emergency personnel remain on the ground, supported by eight helicopters and an MQ-9 Reaper drone equipped for advanced reconnaissance.
The US Coast Guard has joined the operation, and President Donald Trump signed a major disaster declaration on Sunday to release federal aid, saying he would likely visit the area.
The 79-year-old also shared a post on Truth Social, which read: "Melania and I are praying for all of the families impacted by this horrible tragedy. Our Brave First Responders are on site doing what they do best. GOD BLESS THE FAMILIES, AND GOD BLESS TEXAS!"
The National Weather Service issued a flood watch on Thursday (July 3) afternoon, followed by a flash flood warning early Friday morning.
However, local officials claim warnings arrived too late in Kerr County, known as “Flash Flood Alley,” contributing to the devastation. Meteorologist Matt Lanza told the Texas Tribune: “The warnings were there. They just didn’t get to people in time.”
Amid this devastation, residents have rallied to help their neighbors. Volunteers have been delivering food, clothing, and shelter to those displaced by the floods.
One volunteer, Alma Garcia, drove from San Antonio to deliver home-cooked meals and even gave a dry T-shirt to a flood victim she encountered. Another resident, Perla, began collecting clothes and shoes immediately after finishing her shift at Walmart, dropping them at a local shelter the next morning.
Pope Leo XIV also offered prayers from Rome, stating: “I would like to express sincere condolences to all the families who have lost loved ones, in particular their daughters who were in summer camp, in the disaster caused by the flooding of the Guadalupe River in Texas in the United States.”
While the full scale of the disaster continues to unfold, Governor Abbott declared Sunday a day of prayer across Texas.
“I urge every Texan to join me in prayer this Sunday - for the lives lost, for those still missing, for the recovery of our communities, and for the safety of those on the front lines,” Abbott said.
Search and rescue teams said on Saturday that they had already saved over 850 people across the region, including individuals found clinging to trees. Despite the heartache, officials remain hopeful that some missing individuals will still be found alive.
“Our hope and prayer is that there is still people alive that are out there,” W. Nim Kidd, chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management, said.
Our thoughts continue to go out to every person and family impacted by this tragedy.