Texas flood nightmare hits NFL family
The heartbreaking death of a young family member in the disastrous Texas floods, which have so far claimed at least 82 lives, including 28 children, has been confirmed by Tavia Hunt, the wife of Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt.
“Our hearts are shattered.”
Their young cousin, Janie Hunt, was one among the victims at Camp Mystic, a historic all-girls Christian summer camp on the Guadalupe River in Wimberley, Texas, according to a heartbreaking Instagram post by Tavia.
She was only nine years of age.
Tavia Hunt, wife of Chiefs owner Clark Hunt, sent a sorrowful message on Instagram, saying, “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.”
“How can we have faith in a God who is meant to be good, all-knowing, and all-powerful, yet who permits such horrible things to occur, even concerning children?”She went on to say, “The Bible doesn’t
shy away from that sacred and delicate question.” “The cries of people whose hearts have been broken and who still struggle to trust the same God they believe allowed the pain are abundant in Scripture.”
Janie, the great-granddaughter of billionaire oil magnate William Herbert Hunt, was described as bright-eyed, lively, and unbelievably lovely. He was the father of current Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt and the brother of the team’s illustrious founder, Lamar Hunt.
There were 750 campers residing at the location.
The Guadalupe River rose up to 30 feet over its normal height, striking Camp Mystic early Friday. At the time of the floods, almost 750 campers were residing at the location. The younger girls, who slept in lower-lying huts along the riverside, were the most at risk, according to officials. Many are still missing.
Richard “Dick” Eastland, 70, the camp’s adored director, is among the deceased. It has been stated that he perished while attempting to save the girls as the floodwaters rose quickly. The camp had shared happy videos of the kids in a chorus and dance show just one week before to the catastrophe.
Greg Abbott, the governor of Texas, proclaimed Sunday to be a day of prayer for the entire state and promised a thorough inquiry into what went wrong. “We ask Texans to join us in prayer for the lives lost, for those still missing, and for first responders’ safety,” he stated.
To date, emergency personnel have rescued over 850 individuals, some of whom were discovered hanging to trees. Eight helicopters and a state-of-the-art MQ-9 Reaper drone are currently searching the area for survivors.
However, concerns have been raised over the efficacy and timing of the flood warnings. Local officials say the warnings arrived too late to have any impact, particularly in Kerr County, one of the hardest-hit counties, despite the National Weather Service issuing a flood watch Thursday and a flash flood warning early Friday morning.
The Texas Tribune was informed by meteorologist Matt Lanza that this was not a forecasting failure. “There was a communication breakdown. People didn’t receive the warnings in time.
The readiness of the federal government has also been questioned. According to reports, the region’s Weather Service office was understaffed as a result of personnel cuts made during the Trump administration. The warning coordination meteorologist, a crucial role, had been unfilled since April.
President Donald Trump sidestepped the question of whether federal budget cuts hindered the disaster response. He added, “That was actually the Biden setup,” and then walked it back. However, I also wouldn’t hold Biden responsible. This is a disaster that will last a century.
Despite an internal estimate acquired by Daily Mail that suggests the final death toll may exceed 100, the state’s emergency management organization is still searching for missing persons.
Grieving families like the Hunts are left to cling to memories (and to faith) in the face of unfathomable tragedy as rescue efforts continue.
