Taylor Swift donates $5 million toward hurricane relief

Taylor Swift has donated $5 million to help residents in Florida rebuild their lives after the devastating Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

Milton ravaged Florida on Wednesday, whipped up a barrage of tornadoes and caused at least five deaths.

The region was still reeling two weeks after Hurricane Helene flooded streets and homes in western Florida and left at least 230 people dead across the South.

Feeding America, a non profit, announced the pop star’s donation with a “thank you” graphic resembling a friendship bracelet, a favourite accessory that Swift’s fans trade at her concerts.

Feeding America is “incredibly grateful” for the donation, CEO Claire Babineaux-Fontenot said in a statement.

“This contribution will help communities rebuild and recover, providing essential food, clean water, and supplies to people affected by these devastating storms,” the statement continued.

“Together, we can make a real impact in supporting families as they navigate the challenges ahead.”

Swift’s longtime friends, actors Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds, also donated $1 million to Feeding America to support the hurricane relief efforts.

Babineaux-Fontenot said in a statement that the couple’s “longtime support of Feeding America in times of crisis” has helped provide basic needs for several past natural disasters.

Swift has a long history of donating to non profits in the wake of natural disasters or tragic events, including a tornado that hit Tennessee in 2020 and a shooting in February 2024 at the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory parade.

Her philanthropic relationship with food banks became a quiet hallmark of her record-breaking Eras Tour, with the singer donating the equivalent of hundreds of thousands of meals to different food banks across cities she played in.