NFL star J.J. Watt raises $5m for Hurricane Harvey victims

The Houston Flood Relief Fund, organized by Houston Texans football player J.J. Watt, is inching closer to its new goal of $6,000,000, as its raised $5,328,487 by supporters as of Wednesday morning.

Watt created the YouCaring page Tuesday, which initially raised $500,000, but rapidly gained public attention and overwhelming support over the course of several hours.

The beloved Houston sports star continues to be so blown away by generosity of community members and supporters alike, he since upped the goal twice.

Several other people have created GoFundMe pages to aid in various relief efforts due the natural catastrophe — including aid for animals and victims’ medical needs.

Countless celebrities have shown their dedication, including Kevin Hart, Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez, Sandra Bullock, Nicki Minaj, D.J. Khaled, T.I., Chris Brown, The Kardashians, Drake and Beyoncé, to name a few.

NFL star J.J. Watt raised more than $5MILLION for Hurricane Harvey victims as of Wednesday morning

The 28-year-old, who has 3.92M Twitter followers, posted an emotional video to his account thanking everyone for their support and donations thus far

The 28-year-old, who has 3.92M Twitter followers, posted an emotional video to his account thanking everyone for their support and donations thus far

Watt, 28, who has 3.92M Twitter followers, has posted several emotional videos to his account thanking everyone.

On Wednesday, he updated followers saying, ‘Just wanted to give you guys a quick update. Over night, we surpassed 5.1 million dollars. Over 50,000 people have donated and it’s rising by the minute. Every time you refresh the link, it keeps going up and up. Thank you so much to everybody who’s donated, everybody who’s spread the word … It’s incredible.’

He said: ‘The most difficult times seem to bring out the best in humanity and that’s showing through right now so much. Please keep sharing, please keep donating. Whatever you can do, five dollars, five hundred dollars, anything helps. I’m going to make sure this money goes as directly to (the victims) as possible.’ 

The American football defensive ended another video saying: ‘The positive vibes are unbelievable. Houston we’re all thinking of you. The whole world is wishing you the best. Stay strong, we’ve all got your back.’

Tennessee Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk was more than happy to donate money to J.J.’s Houston Flood Relief Fund. ‘The flooding and devastation to the Houston area has been painful to watch,’ Strunk said on the Titans’ official website.

‘As a native to the area, I have been so encouraged to see how the locals and the nation as a whole have come together to help one another. The NFL, at the end of the day, is a family that helps one another in times of need.’ 

She continued: ‘J.J. has created a dynamic where boots will be on the ground with immediate aid to those who need it. The Titans want to be a part of his effort to help the Houston community as it rebuilds. 

Strunk was more than happy to donate the $1 million to J.J.'s Houston Flood Relief Fund. 'The flooding and devastation to the Houston area has been painful to watch,' Strunk said on the Titans' official website

Strunk was more than happy to donate the $1 million to J.J.’s Houston Flood Relief Fund. ‘The flooding and devastation to the Houston area has been painful to watch,’ Strunk said on the Titans’ official website

‘I talked with him earlier today and he was very appreciative. We discussed his plans and I know he is determined to help as many people as he can.’

As well as Strunk’s hugely generous $1 million donation, another big donation came in from Houston Rockets point guard Chris Paul, who contributed $50,000 to J.J.’s page.

Hurricane Harvey, a powerful Category 4 hurricane, is becoming one of the worst storms to ever hit the United States, and is swiftly becoming one of the most expensive natural disasters in US history. 

Strunk wrote: 'As a native to the area, I have been so encouraged to see how the locals and the nation as a whole have come together to help one another. The NFL, at the end of the day, is a family that helps one another in times of need'

Strunk wrote: ‘As a native to the area, I have been so encouraged to see how the locals and the nation as a whole have come together to help one another. The NFL, at the end of the day, is a family that helps one another in times of need’

Damage from Hurricane Harvey could put it among the top five most costly US storms ever, with failing dams and levees driving up loss forecasts, data modeling showed Tuesday. 

Estimates for total economic costs and damage shot up overnight Monday to $42 billion from $30 billion, as flooding began to spread to Louisiana and flood control measures became overwhelmed, according to Chuck Watson, founder of the disaster modeling firm Enki Research. 

Areas east of Houston, Texas have been drenched with more than 50 inches of rain. The storm continues to hover over southeastern Texas and parts of southwestern Louisiana. 

Hurricane Harvey, a powerful Category 4 hurricane, is becoming one of the worst tropical storms to ever hit the United States, and it is swiftly becoming one of the most expensive natural disasters

Hurricane Harvey, a powerful Category 4 hurricane, is becoming one of the worst tropical storms to ever hit the United States, and it is swiftly becoming one of the most expensive natural disasters

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