Tens of thousands of people living in Louisiana have been affected by flooding and while you may be struggling to find a way to assist, one celebrity is stepping up to help. In a statement to The Associated Press, Taylor Swift announced she is donating $1 million to the Louisiana flood victims. Swift credited the generosity of the people of Louisiana during her 1989 World Tour as the inspiration for her charity in her Aug. 16 statement and with 11 people dead from the floods in Louisiana and 60,000 people signing up for assistance with the Federal Emergency Management Agency so far, the singer's donation is desperately needed.
"We began The 1989 World Tour in Louisiana, and the wonderful fans there made us feel completely at home." Swift said in her statement. "The fact that so many people in Louisiana have been forced out of their own homes this week is heartbreaking." As she mentioned, Swift kicked off her massively successful tour in Louisiana with her second U.S. stop being in Baton Rouge. At least 40,000 homes in Baton Rouge and other southern Louisiana towns have been damaged and 30,000 people have been rescued since Friday when the historic amount of flooding began to occur.
The New York Times released a series of photos showing the devastation that the flooding has caused to the local people with many homes and businesses being destroyed. Upon seeing the shocking scale of the flooding and people having to navigate their way through the streets in boats, it's no wonder Swift felt compelled to help in some way. Although she appears to be the first star to provide aid to the Louisiana flood victims, she will not be the last with Lady Gaga tweeting that she is donating to relief efforts. While the number of people killed and displaced is not of the magnitude of Hurricane Katrina or Hurricane Sandy (celebrity benefit concerts were held to raise money for both of those natural disasters), that is no consolation if you are one of the thousands who has lost their home or a loved one.
No matter how you personally feel about Swift, her $1 million donation is tremendously generous and will inspire many others to follow in her footsteps. Understandably, not everyone can donate the amount of money that Swift is capable of donating and she acknowledged that in her statement by saying, "I encourage those who can to help out and send your love and prayers their way during this devastating time." So whether it's a monetary donation or assisting hands-on, learn how you can aid the Louisiana flood victims because you don't have to be a celebrity like Swift to help.
