Chiefs Owner's Family Loses 9-Year-Old Girl in Texas Flood Tragedy
Janie Hunt was attending an all-girls Christian summer program, Camp Mystic, when heavy rains in central Texas, centered around Texas Hill Country and Kerr County, caused the Guadalupe River to burst its banks over the July 4 weekend.
Janie, from Dallas, was the great-granddaughter of oil billionaire William Herbert Hunt, who was the brother of Clark Hunt's father and Chiefs founder Lamar Hunt.
The youngster was at the camp in the community of Hunt, Kerr County, for the first time, alongside six of her cousins, all of whom survived, according to her family.
Her grandmother, Margaret Hunt, told reporters that she was in Vermont when she was told about the flooding by family members. Mrs Hunt immediately sped to the reunification center in Ingram, Texas.
When she arrived, she was asked to identify the body of Janie at a nearby funeral home.
Chloe Childress, an 18-year-old counselor at Camp Mystic, was among those who died when flash flooding swept through the camp. The camp's director, Dick Eastland, also succumbed to the violent waters, the New York Times reports. He died while trying to save girls at the camp, according to family members.
An 8-year-old girl, Sarah Marsh, also died at the camp, as did four other children, according to the New York Post. Eleven people have also been reported as missing, 10 girls and a counselor.
Tavia Hunt, Clark Hunt's wife, posted a tribute to Janie on Instagram. '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, in part, before sharing bible verses.
Overall, at least 81 people have died in the floods, while 41 people, including the young girls and a counselor at Camp Mystic, remain missing.
The National Weather Service has warned of more rain to come. The agency extended a flood watch over much of south-central Texas for Monday.
'Thunderstorms are expected to increase across portions of central TX over the next few hours with areas of slow movement and locally heavy rainfall,' it said.
'Localized hourly rainfall in the 1 to 3 inch range is expected, possibly leading to isolated flash flood concerns across the region.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
44 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Texas' 'flash flood alley': For centuries, a 'bull's-eye' when epic rain falls
The catastrophic flooding in the Hill Country of south-central Texas on July 4 took place in a region that's known as "flash flood alley," a geographic area that also includes many of the state's major metropolitan areas, such as San Antonio, Dallas, Austin and Waco. This region is among the nation's most prone to flash flooding, known for its propensity for fast and furious flooding when extreme rain falls, Alan Gerard, CEO of weather consulting company Balanced Weather said. As bountiful moist air from the Gulf of America, renamed from the Gulf of Mexico, moves over the steep hills, it can dump heavy rain. Experts say the flooding was not a surprise, based on historical and prehistorical data: "The flooding was certainly extreme but it should not have been historically unexpected," said political scientist Roger Pielke, Jr., in an email. "The documented record of extreme flooding in 'flash flood alley' goes back several centuries, with paleoclimatology records extending that record thousands of years into the past," he said. Extreme flooding began in the Texas Hill Country around 4 a.m., on July 4 as thunderstorms dropped more than 10 inches of rain on the region. The rain overwhelmed the Guadalupe River, causing it to quickly rise. Scores of people have died in the devastating floods, including 27 campers and counselors from Camp Mystic, an all-girls camp in Central Texas. Geology is a key factor in the designation of flash flood alley. The "Balcones Escarpment," a geologic fault line that roughly parallels Interstate 35, marks the location of flash flood alley. This inactive fault zone formed a rise in the topography in the area, which enhances storm systems that pass over it, causing them to dump more rain there than they might elsewhere, according to AccuWeather. "We're going from the coastal plains right into the Hill Country. There's a rise of at least about 500 feet in elevation," Pete Rose, a meteorologist with the Lower Colorado River Authority, told AccuWeather in 2022. "Along with that, you have a lot of your hills and valleys that go along with that type of topography, and these hills don't contain a lot of soil; they have very thin soil. So when rain does hit them, not much of it gets absorbed," Rose said, noting that water will rush down the valleys and pile into creeks and streams. Warm, moist air from the Gulf helps fuel storms as well, giving them ample moisture to dump lots of rain in a short amount of time across the dusty Texas soil. Remembering the flood victims: Twin sisters; woman who 'shaped generations of campers' among victims Pielke points to a classic 1940 historical text on U.S. floods, which shows that "the same region of Texas that experienced this week's floods has long been known to be a bull's-eye for flash flooding." In fact, almost a century before that book was published, Texas experienced one of the greatest losses of life in U.S. history related to extreme weather. In 1846, in the months after Texas became a U.S. state, massive flooding compounded the many problems facing thousands of recent immigrants from Germany who had been settled in New Braunfels, Texas, which was significantly impacted by this week's floods, Pielke said. According to a 1846 account, cited in a 2006 PhD dissertation on flooding in Texas by William Keith Guthrie, at the University of Kansas: "The Guadalupe (River) would often rise 15 feet above its normal stand after these heavy rains, carrying with it in its swift torrent a number of large trees, uprooted farther up the hills. Smaller brooks, ordinarily not containing flowing water, became raging torrents which could be crossed only by swimming." According to Guthrie's dissertation, "archaeological evidence indicates that Paleo-Indians adapted to the region's flood regimes by careful placement of campsites and nomadic lifestyles. Native Americans during the earliest periods of contact with Europeans in Texas, according to Spanish records, also adapted to the prevailing cycles of seasonal flooding in the state's interior by modifying their economic trade cycles." What Texas cities flooded? Here's where the most rain fell this weekend Flood experts believe that the future will bring an increased risk of flash flooding to this already flood-prone area as more development in the region creates more impermeable surfaces and thus more runoff, AccuWeather said. Bigger storms, enhanced by a changing climate, may also lead to more flash flooding as a warmer atmosphere allows storms to hold more water. "Cities such as Austin have been taking preventative measures to warn locals about the threat of flash flooding, putting up signs in areas that flood frequently. Austin also has the Flood Early Warning System, a network of rain gauges, barricades and cameras that monitor the threat of flooding in the city," according to AccuWeather. "This tragedy occurred in a location that has among the greatest risks in the nation of flash flooding, where kids in summer camps have previously been swept away to their deaths, and where warning systems are (apparently and incredibly) not in place," Pielke said. "This tragedy never should have happened and it should never happen again." Flooding in Texas could be among the worst on Earth, Rose said, noting that "we're in a very, very flash flood-prone area, not only of Texas but out of the country and even the world." Contributing: Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA TODAY This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why Texas' 'flash flood alley' is a 'bull's-eye' when epic rain falls
Yahoo
44 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Petition demands new storm warning system in flood-ravaged Texas Hill Country
Nearly 40,000 people have signed a petition "urgently" calling for officials to create an early warning siren system for the flood-ravaged Texas hill country. The petition, created by Nicole Wilson of San Antonio, demands that modern outdoor emergency sirens be installed in hard-hit Kerr County to provide warnings for floods, tornadoes, and other life-threatening emergencies. "The tragic events at Camp Mystic and the devastating flooding along the Guadalupe River that happened in July are stark reminders that severe weather can strike with little notice," Wilson wrote on July 5. "A well-placed siren system will provide critical extra minutes for families, schools, camps, businesses, and visitors to seek shelter and evacuate when needed. "This is not just a wish ‒ it is a necessary investment in public safety," added Wilson, 42, an Army veteran and married mother of three. The petition comes as the death toll from the floods has risen to at least 120, while search and rescue teams and volunteers desperately scour for bodies. Ninety-six of those killed in Texas were in Kerr County in central Texas. More than 160 people remain missing, authorities said. At least 27 of the deaths were children and counselors at Camp Mystic, a beloved girls' Christian camp situated along the river. Wilson said she "strongly believes" that if there had been audible siren warnings at the camp, it could've given camp counselors and campers ‒ who had little notice when the flash flooding began ‒ enough time to possibly evacuate. "I personally have no doubt that even with an extra five minutes, those counselors would've seen the scenario and taken themselves to higher ground," Wilson, who served as a Sergeant First Class in the Army and specialized in military intelligence, told USA TODAY on July 9. "I strongly believe more lives would've been saved." Seeking hope: Search teams scour for more than 160 still missing in Texas flooding: Live updates Flood warning systems typically use a variety of resources ranging from advanced weather forecasting and real-time data collection to alert officials and the public about the potential for flooding, according to Alex Tardy, a former longtime warning coordination meteorologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. These systems usually involve monitoring rainfall, water levels, and stream flow through sensors inside and out of the water and automated reporting to a central station, Tardy said. When certain thresholds are met, for example, if rain, flood, or river waters are rising, a series of alerts can be issued through sirens, depending on location, and text messages, added Tardy, who runs Weather Echo, a San Diego-based weather and climate data consulting company. The National Weather Service issued flash flood warnings for Kerrville County in the early hours of July 4, but people at the camp may not have gotten the warnings in time. "In a perfect world, you have a local warning system where officials can use any methods, including sirens, to notify their residents," Tardy said. How to properly warn residents, camps and parks along the Guadalupe River of potential flooding and other disasters has been debated for years, Wilson said. Initially seeking 1,000 signatures for her petition, Wilson said it is past time that Kerr County, part of a region nicknamed "Flash Flood Alley," receives an updated flood warning system. And she believes the state or federal government "absolutely" should be able to fund it. "We are not taking 'no' as an option any longer," Wilson said. "There are no more excuses." Nearly a decade ago, Kerr County asked for $1 million to build a flood warning system that would have upgraded 20 water gauge systems, added new water level sensors and posts, and created software and a website to distribute the information to the public in real-time. But records indicate that the Texas Division of Emergency Management repeatedly denied the county's request. Kerr County has long used software called CodeRed to notify residents about floods, fires and other emergencies via cell phone. In 2020, county leaders voted to expand CodeRed by integrating it with a FEMA system, which enabled it to alert people passing through the area, even if they didn't have the local CodeRed app. Clinging to rafters: How staff at all-boys camp in Texas saved hundreds from floodwaters The expansion, however, did not include the upgraded gauges, new sensors or the public website the county had requested. The upcoming repairs and funeral costs should serve as haunting reminders that funding for a better early warning system isn't optional, Wilson said. She believes Texas Gov. Greg Abbott will find a way through state funding. And if not, Wilson hopes President Donald Trump, who plans to visit the area on July 11, will provide funding for a new siren system. Wilson said she plans to testify during a special legislative session in Austin later this month, hoping to use her petition as a catalyst for an early warning siren system. "Anything short of it is unacceptable," Wilson said. 'The loss of future life is too important because of this region's long history of flooding." Contributing: Kenny Jacoby and Rick Jervis, USA TODAY This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Petition demands new early warning siren system in Texas Hill Country
Yahoo
44 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Clinging to rafters: How staff at all-boys camp in Texas saved hundreds from floodwaters
After a sun-filled day at Camp La Junta, 11-year-old Beau Brown was roused awake by a counselor on July 4 and led outside into the early morning darkness. From the doorway, Beau could see floodwaters beginning to engulf cabins closer to the Guadalupe River, where the younger boys slept. With a group of other campers, he reached a high point on a nearby hillside and watched as counselors rushed into the raging floodwaters. The torrent of water blew out the walls of at least one cabin and forced counselors to move children into the rafters above their bunk beds. When the water slowed, counselors formed a line and pulled some of the boys to safety. Several counselors slung children over their shoulders and swam them to higher ground. Within a few hours, each of the nearly 400 children and counselors at the all-boys camp were determined safe and accounted for. Acting on their own, staff had taken decisive action, rushing the children into cabins up the hill from the racing river, which had risen over 20 feet in less than an hour. Parents who spoke with USA TODAY credit them for saving their children's lives. "If it hadn't of been for them, it would have been a very different scenario with our boys," said Beau's mother, Georgie Brown. "They didn't have anyone telling them what to do, they just did it and saved a lot of our boys." At other camps the flood took lives. About five miles down the Guadalupe, floodwaters tore through Camp Mystic, a beloved all-girls Christian summer camp, killing at least 27 children and counselors, officials said. As of Tuesday, rescue teams were desperately searching for five girls still missing after the river overwhelmed the campgrounds in the early morning hours of July 4. And while there were no children on the grounds at Heart O' the Hills Camp, the flood killed the camp's longtime owner Jane Ragsdale, a matriarch who led the summer program for decades. Other camps dotting the river's edge reported damage – some quite significant – but no loss of life. The parents of the children rescued from Camp La Junta said while they're grateful to have their children at home, they're also overwhelmed with grief at the loss of life at Camp Mystic, where many of them know the victims and their families. "It's unbelievable that something so terrible can happen in such a happy place," Brown said. Kolton Taylor, 12, had only one full day at camp before screams woke him up around 4 a.m. that Friday. When he climbed out of bed, the floodwaters were up to his knees – and soon his waist. In the dark he felt for his tennis shoes floating nearby, put them on and hurried out the door. "He ended up on the hillside for about two hours in the rain – terrified," his mother, Janet Davis, told USA TODAY. "He said he heard sounds he won't ever forget." Nearby, 9-year-old Everett Higgins and several other boys sat on their beds as the flood raged outside. Water seeped into their cabin under the doors and through gaps in the walls, but the cabin was at a higher point than those closest to the river, allowing them to shelter inside. The children in the cabins near the river's edge were told to climb onto the top bunks and then – as water poured in – the rafters. Some parents said their children were there for about an hour before counselors waded into the water and whisked the children to safety. "They were heroes," Everett's father, Shawn Higgins, said. All of the children were moved into several cabins a safe distance from the floodwaters, where counselors tried to keep the boys occupied, passing around a football as the sun came up. Camp leaders took head counts and kept parents updated through emails, text messages and social media posts. Toward evening, trucks and buses drove the campers to First Presbyterian Church in Kerrville, where they reunited with their families. While on the drive, the boys saw further evidence of the devastation wrought by the flood: uprooted trees, cars washed away and a field where they could see several dead horses. Janet Davis, who has generational ties to camps in the Texas Hill Country, said Kolton was traumatized. "It's heartbreaking because it was one of my favorite places to go as a kid," she said. "Now my son never wants to go back." Brown said the hours she spent waiting to hear about Beau were the longest of her life. The children were not allowed to have phones at camp and power outages made communication with counselors nearly impossible. Until she saw her son in person, she clung to the brief messages the camp sent out reiterating that everyone had been found safe. "I was in pure panic mode," she said. After Beau and the hundreds of other boys were bused to Kerrville, he boarded a helicopter flight with a close friend to Monroe, Louisiana, where they live. It was close to midnight when Brown met him at the local airport. "I held him so tight," Brown said through tears. Similar scenes unfolded at the church in Kerrville. Everett sat in the crowded church gymnasium with scores of other children waiting for their parents. When he spotted his father walking through the door, he ran up to him and nearly tackled him to the ground. After a long hug, Higgins looked at his son and noticed he was in his pajamas, a borrowed T-shirt and was missing a shoe. In the days since, that image has lingered in Higgins' mind as he's tried to grapple with how close his son came to being swept away in the flood. "What happened was a miracle," he said. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: A flood engulfed an all-boys camp in Texas. Staff rushed to save them.
