USA – Singer Taylor Swift has donated $5 million to provide additional food and resources to help people in the areas affected by hurricanes Helene and Milton, Florida, USA.

Taylor Swift donated through the charity Feeding America – a network of more than 200 food banks, which aims to provide meals and necessary resources to localities in need.

On October 9, Ms. Claire Babineaux-Fontenot – Executive Director of the organization posted on Instagram a message of gratitude to the singer.

She said the $5 million (about VND125 billion) contribution will be used to help communities rebuild and recover, and provide essential food, clean water, and necessities to people affected by the storms.

Ms Babineaux-Fontenot thanked Taylor Swift for “standing side by side with the organization in the movement to end hunger and support communities in need”. The representative of the unit encouraged everyone to “join the singer in donating, if possible”.

Singer Taylor Swift donates $5 million to help with hurricanes Helene and Milton

On October 9 (local time), Hurricane Milton officially made landfall on the Florida Gulf Coast at level 3 on the US 5-level scale, bringing strong winds and large waves that threaten people’s lives and pose a risk of causing serious flooding.

According to Reuters (UK), compared to forecasts, Hurricane Milton made landfall earlier and further south, bringing hope that the damage caused by the storm may be less severe. Before making landfall in Florida, Hurricane Milton had twice reached Category 5 storm intensity.

About 90 minutes after making landfall, Milton was centered about 30 kilometers northeast of Sarasota and moving east-northeast at 26 kilometers per hour. The storm weakened to a Category 2 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of 175 kilometers per hour.

But despite the downgrade, the storm is no less dangerous. The National Weather Service has issued a rare flash flood warning for the Tampa Bay area, including the cities of St. Petersburg and Clearwater.

This emergency notice warns of extremely heavy rainfall that could pose a serious threat to life and cause catastrophic damage from flash flooding. It is typically issued when officials believe rising water levels pose a life-threatening threat and require rescue or evacuation.

A Tampa Bay fishing port recorded wind gusts of up to 100 mph as Hurricane Milton made landfall in Florida, according to the National Hurricane Center. The storm brought life-threatening sea level rise and flash flooding along with its extremely strong winds, the center said.