Kenny Chesney Distraught by Devastation in the Caribbean Caused by Hurricane Irma
"As daylight is hitting the islands, and we’re really getting a sense of how bad this all is… I don’t know what to say," Chesney wrote in a letter to fans.
If you know anything about Kenny Chesney, you know that he has a special connection to the islands in the Caribbean Sea, specifically the Virgin Islands where he owns a home in St. John. Many of the superstar’s songs are inspired by island life and the people he’s met during his travels to paradise.
On Wednesday (Sept. 7), Hurricane Irma struck the islands and the surrounding coasts, bringing winds of up to 180 miles per hour and causing total devastation. As photos and video of the aftermath of the storm began to surface the following morning, Chesney found himself distraught by the devastation and penned a heartfelt letter to his fans and friends via his official website.
“As daylight is hitting the islands, and we’re really getting a sense of how bad this all is… I don’t know what to say,” he began. “I’ve never been in war, but the devastation, the people’s faces in a place I know by heart have left me feeling helpless. It’s total devastation.These are people who live off the sea, who depend on it. They live right there and it’s gone. Most everyone’s displaced. They are frightened, confused, and they don’t know where help is going to come from.Those lives have changed, and will never be the same. Those small islands are hard to get to and they rely on each other to get through what life hands them. For all of them though they’ve been where I’ve leaned for emotional and creative support for fifteen years because they are so generous.”
Chesney then rallied for his fans to help and promised he would do anything in his power to assist those who have lost so much.
“I don’t know right now how we’re going to do this. But I want to help,” he continued. “I want to enlist my friends to figure out the best ways to make a difference, to help in whatever ways, small or larger, that we can. I’m blessed with so many great people… We’re already talking, trying to figure out how to get in there. And I know the No Shoes Nation is mighty. They’ve dug in before and made a difference. I have a feeling once we have our plans in the place, they’ll be there again. Give us a few days to figure this out. Pray/send good thoughts to everyone who’s been effected or is in the path of #hurricaneirma. This is unlike anything they’ve ever seen from St Maartens to St Barths to Puerto Rico then the Caribbean and onto Key West. Be safe. Tell someone how much you care. Remember to Spread the Love. More Soon.”
Hurricane Irma is one of the most powerful storms ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean. It is expected to make landfall once again on Sunday morning in Miami, Fla.
