Taylor Swift and Dolly Parton lead donations for hurricane relief

Celebrities have been donating vast sums of money for hurricane relief in the US, after the devastation of Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton.

Earlier this month, Hurricane Helene made landfall across the Southeastern states of the US, laying waste to cities such as Georgia, Florida, North Carolina and many more. The hurricane has resulted in hundreds of deaths, with many more missing.

Yesterday, Hurricane Milton hit Florida, and has been described by President Joe Biden as “the storm of the century.”

The non-profit organisation Feeding America has revealed that Taylor Swift has made a “generous $5 million donation” that will be used to “help communities rebuild and recover, providing essential food, clean water, and supplies to people affected by these devastating storms.”

Their statement continued: “Together, we can make a real impact in supporting families as they navigate the challenges ahead. Thank you, Taylor, for standing with us in the movement to end hunger and for helping communities in need.”

Swift, who moved to Tennessee in her teens, where the death toll in the state has reached 12 at the time of writing, joins Dolly Parton, who donated $1 million “from (her) own bank account” to relief efforts following Hurricane Helene.

On top of her personal donation, Parton announced last week that she – along with her companies Dollywood Parks & Resorts, The Dollywood Foundation, Dolly Parton’s Stampede and Pirates Voyage – was partnering with retial corporation Walmart to provide flood relief across the Appalachian region. Parton’s aforementioned companies are also combining their resources to match her donation to Mountain Ways Foundation with an added $1 million contribution.

“God has been good to me and so has the public, and I feel that if there’s anything I can do to give back in any way I can I’m always willing to do that. I want to feel like I’m doing my part,” said the country legend.

Among other efforts, country singer Morgan Wallen helped collect supplies and posed for photos with fans at a food drive in Knoxville, Tennessee on Wednesday, after having previously donated $500,000 to the American Red Cross for hurricane relief. Rock legends Metallica have also announced that their All Within My Hands Foundation has donated $50,000 each to the World Central Kitchen and Team Rubicon to aid their efforts.

Many meteorologists predict Hurricane Milton could be one of the most destructive storms on record in Florida, while Hurricane Helene was the second-deadliest to strike the US mainland in the past 50 years, behind Hurricane Katrina nearly 20 years ago.

Additional sources • Billboard