KC Chiefs owner's family mourns loss of 9-year-old cousin in Texas floods
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (WDAF) – The family of Clark Hunt, the chairman and CEO of the Kansas City Chiefs, is mourning the loss of a 9-year-old cousin, Janie Hunt, who died amid disastrous flooding in Central Texas over the weekend.
Tavia Hunt, the wife of Clark Hunt, confirmed the girl's death on Instagram following the catastrophic flooding in Kerr County at the site of a Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp for girls.
The flooding has killed more than 100 people, including dozens of children. Search and rescue efforts still underway.
"Our hearts are broken by the devastation from the floods in Wimberley and the tragic loss of many lives — including a precious little Hunt cousin, along with several [friends'] little girls," reads a statement posted to Tavia Hunt's Instagram page.
Tavia's Instagram post also included several Bible passages. In the caption, she wrote, "If your heart is broken, I assure you God is near. He is gentle with your wounds. And He is still worthy — even when your soul is struggling to believe it. Trust doesn’t mean you’re over the pain; it means you’re handing it to the only One who can hold it with love and restore what was lost. For we do not grieve as those without hope."
Clark and Tavia Hunt's daughter Gracie Hunt, frequently referred to as the Chiefs "heiress," also shared her condolences for the families of victims on Monday.
"My heart aches for our extended family and friends who lost daughters — for every life lost and every family shattered by the floods in Texas. I don’t have easy answers, but I do know this: following Jesus doesn’t spare us from pain — but it means we never face it alone," she wrote.
Gracie, too, included several Bible passages in her Stories and Reels.
Janie Hunt's mother, Anne Hunt, had earlier confirmed her death to CNN, while her grandmother Margaret Hunt confirmed it to The Kansas City Star, identifying Janie as a camper at Camp Mystic. The Star reported that Janie Hunt was the great-granddaughter of William Herbert Hunt, brother of Chiefs founder Lamar Hunt. Clark Hunt is one of Lamar's children; the Chiefs are currently owned by the families of Lamar Hunt's four kids.
The Chiefs franchise did not comment on the girl's passing.
Flash-flooding emanated from the Guadalupe River on Friday, pulling people out of their cabins, tents and trailers and dragging them for miles past floating tree trunks and cars. Some survivors were found clinging to trees. More than 100 people were killed, including dozens of campers and counselors. Officials said Monday that 10 campers and one counselor still have not been found.
The flood and its devastation appear to have, for the moment, tamped down talk by President Donald Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem of scaling back the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which helps states respond to natural disasters by providing water and other supplies and federal assistance.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.