Matthew McConaughey breaks silence on 'shock' and 'pain' of deadly Texas floods
The Oscar winner, 55 — who was born in Uvalde, Texas — took to X on Sunday, writing, 'At least 70 lives have been lost, many more are unaccounted for, and countless Texans are hurting - inside and out.'
'If you're able, please lend a helping hand where and how you can,' the Interstellar actor continued.
'It's gonna be a long road ahead, but right now the shock, the pain, and the chaos need the steady hand of a neighbor.'
McConaughey added that 'Texans are some of the most resilient and generous people on the planet.'
The actor was one of a number of stars speaking out in the wake of floods in central Texas that killed at least 79 and left 41 missing.
Colombian pop superstar Shakira, 48, announced on Saturday that she would be donating proceeds from her San Antonio concert to Catholic Charities of San Antonio.
The Grammy-winning singer wrote on X: 'Dear San Antonio, Our hearts and prayers are with those affected by the flood in Central Texas. We are donating a portion of tonight's show proceeds to Catholic Charities of San Antonio, who are providing disaster relief to the families impacted.'
'If you would like to join me in donating, please click on the link below. Your help is important and appreciated,' she added.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
7 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Melania Trump's tribute to Texas flood victims
Melania Trump has revealed the touching tribute she received from survivors of the deadly Texas floods. The First Lady was gifted a charm bracelet by girls at Camp Mystic, which she vowed to wear as a 'permanent reminder' of the lives lost. Melania, 55, took to Instagram on Saturday to share the heartwarming message dedicated to the survivors from the Christian girls' summer camp devastated by a flash flood on July 4. 'FOREVER LOVE, MYSTIC,' the First Lady wrote in a post showing the handcrafted charm bracelets. 'This bracelet will forever hold a sacred place in my heart — a quiet, shining thread to the young souls who now watch over us from heaven. Each charm carries the weight of their memory, the warmth of their presence, and will forever symbolize their love. Mystic is permanently bound through the joyous times spent together and the remembrance of their shared laughter,' the emotional post concluded. The private Christian girls' camp, located on the Guadalupe River, was struck by a sudden and catastrophic wall of water during the early hours of Independence Day. A barrage of rain caused the river to surge over 30 feet above its natural height, causing mass destruction and claiming the lives of 27 girls and counselors at the Hunt, Texas, location. On Thursday, President Donald Trump and the First Lady visited the flood-ravaged area, where they met with first responders, families of the victims, and survivors of the tragic weather event. Melania said she was deeply moved by the stories shared by young girls and their families. 'My deepest sympathy to all of the parents who lost beautiful young souls,' she said after touring the devastation with the President. 'We are grieving with you.' The Trumps later held a private meeting with the victims' families. 'We pray with them, we hug, we hold hands,' the First Lady said of that time. 'I met beautiful young ladies. They gave me this special bracelet from the camp in honor of all of the little girls that lost their lives. So we are here to honor them and also to give the support,' she said, holding up her arm to show the silver charm bracelet. Known for her typically reserved public presence, Melania made a rare and heartfelt statement of support to those grieving and promised she would return to the area. 'I will be back. I promise to them. And I just pray for them and [am] giving them my strength and love,' she said. Trump, 78, who had approved a federal disaster declaration for the region earlier in the week, described the flooding as 'like a tidal wave,' saying the extent of the damage was unlike anything he had ever seen. The flood was triggered by days of heavy rainfall that caused the Guadalupe River to rise rapidly, overwhelming parts of Kerr and Kendall counties. Authorities said dozens were swept away in what they called an 'unprecedented surge.' More than 100 people remain missing a week after heavy rains and flash floods devastated Texas Hill Country, destroying homes and leaving families struggling to recover. Emergency workers and volunteers are still combing through debris, holding out hope that some trapped residents may yet be found alive. Officials warn the death toll — which has reached 129 as of Saturday evening — could continue to rise in the coming days.
Daily Mail
8 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Melania Trump's touching tribute to Texas flood victims
Melania Trump has revealed the touching tribute she received from survivors from the deadly Texas Floods. The First Lady shared that she had been gifted a charm bracelet she received from survivors at Camp Mystic as she honored the fallen campers. Melania, 55, took to Instagram on Saturday to share the heartwarming message dedicated to the survivors from the Christian girls' summer camp devastated by a flash flood on July 4. 'FOREVER LOVE, MYSTIC,' the First Lady wrote in a post showing the handcrafted charm bracelets which she called 'a permanent reminder' of the lives lost. 'This bracelet will forever hold a sacred place in my heart— a quiet, shining thread to the young souls who now watch over us from heaven. 'Each charm carries the weight of their memory, the warmth of their presence, and will forever symbolize their love. Mystic is permanently bound through the joyous times spent together and the remembrance of their shared laughter,' the emotional post concluded. The private Christian girls' camp located on the Guadalupe River, was struck by a sudden and catastrophic wall of water during the early hours of Independence Day. A barrage of rain caused the river to surge over 30 feet above its natural height, causing mass destruction and claiming the lives of 27 girls and counselors at the Hunt, Texas, location. On Thursday, President Donald Trump and the First Lady visited the flood-ravaged area, where they met with first responders, families of the victims, and survivors of the tragic weather event. Melania said she was deeply moved by the stories shared by young girls and their families. 'My deepest sympathy to all of the parents who lost beautiful young souls,' she said after touring the devastation with the President. 'We are grieving with you.' The Trumps later held a private meeting with the victims' families. 'We pray with them, we hug, we hold hands,' the First Lady said of that time. 'I met beautiful young ladies. They gave me this special bracelet from the camp in honor of all of the little girls that lost their lives. So we are here to honor them and also to give the support,' she said, holding up her arm to show the silver charm bracelet. Known for her typically reserved public presence, Melania made a rare and heartfelt statement of support to those grieving, and promised she would return to the area. 'I will be back. I promise to them. And I just pray for them and [am] giving them my strength and love,' she said. Trump, 78, who had approved a federal disaster declaration for the region earlier in the week, described the flooding as 'like a tidal wave,' saying the extent of the damage was unlike anything he had ever seen. The flood was triggered by days of heavy rainfall that caused the Guadalupe River to rise rapidly, overwhelming parts of Kerr and Kendall counties. Authorities said dozens were swept away in what they called an 'unprecedented surge.' More than 100 people remain missing a week after heavy rains and flash floods devastated Texas Hill Country, destroying homes and leaving families struggling to recover. Emergency workers and volunteers are still combing through debris, holding out hope that some trapped residents may yet be found alive. Officials warn the death toll - which has reached 129 as of Saturday evening - could continue to rise in the coming days.
Daily Mail
8 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Our city is being ruined by 'billionaires' playground'... we're being forced out by tourists
A Texas city is becoming a billionaires' playground as it moves forward with a new sports arena that locals are riling against. A project that was initially code-named Project Marvel is facing huge backlash from local residents who have no desire for a new San Antonio Spurs arena to be constructed downtown. 'We don't need to provide a $4.5 billion playground for tourists and billionaires that does not provide economic development for our city,' Father Jimmy Drennan, of St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church, told the San Antonio Express-News. For years, there have been talks amongst city officials about building a new Spurs arena behind closed doors and forcing consultants and developers to sign nondisclosure agreements. But locals don't want their taxpaying money to go toward the new arena, which they say, won't get any love from those residing there, only tourists and billionaires. 'This is a business deal with the Spurs and the city. It should also be a business deal for us,' Patrick Stolmeier, a local, told The Express-News. Anne Alexander cofounded a campaign called Stop! Project Marvel and several of her organization's signs - which read: 'No! Project Marvel' - have been popping up in plenty of neighborhoods since. The campaign might become a thorn in politicians' sides as more and more residents are becoming disdainful about the project. And locals are angered by the lack of transparency and communication and don't want it to be on the ballot in November. 'There are too many unanswered questions, including costs, economic benefits, alternatives, and financing,' Alexander's campaign said in a statement. 'Is downtown for the people or just for tourists?' Alexander's cofounder, Annalisa Peace, questioned. They also worry about traffic jams from the all the tourists coming downtown and whether or not locals would even be able to afford tickets to the games, which is currently held at the Frost Bank Center on the East Side. The average income in San Antonio is $34,000 for an individual and $63,000 for a household. 'When I tell people: "Would you like to sign in opposition?" they grab it out of my hands to try to sign it,' Mike Phillips, a COPS/Metro Alliance, an interfaith group that opposes the arena, told the outlet. Assistant City Manager, Lori Houston, told The Express-News that officials hear the backlash, but said the city has no desire to cancel their plans. 'I've heard people say: "How do I stop this project?" You take a vote,' she said on Tuesday. 'But we don't want to stop this project.' Tourism is a huge moneymaker for the Southern city and adding the arena downtown would help increase foot traffic and help finance the area through taxes on hotels and rental cars. Officials also worry that if the area isn't built, the basketball team could look elsewhere and that would lower the city's profit margin. And not every resident is viciously opposed to it and Keely Petty told The Express-News that she believes it could put San Antonio on the map next to Houston and Dallas. The city is also looking to expand the convention center again, which could cost up to $900million and would have to move the San Antonio Water System chilled water plant to do so. How much it would cost to move the water system is unknown.
