Helping after Hurricane Harvey: Celebrities join storm relief efforts

Watt, a defensive end for the Houston Texans football team, raised over $12 million in a matter of days through online donations from celebrities and ordinary people alike. The NFL star has said the money will go directly to the people of Houston and that several trucks filled with water and supplies have already been shipped out thanks to the donations.

Born and raised in Houston, superstar Beyonce was quick to mobilize her dedicated fan base to help her home city. On her website, she urged fans to donate to two local Houston charities working on the ground and sent a team from her philanthropic foundation BeyGOOD to help with recovery efforts. The singer is keeping her personal donations secret for now.

Former reality television star and current US President Donald Trump pledged to personally donate $1 million to help those hit hardest by the storm in Texas and Louisiana. The White House did not say if the money would come directly from Trump or from his foundation - but they asked reporters for suggestions on how to spend the money.

The Oscar-winning actress announced on Tuesday that she donated $1 million to the American Red Cross. "There are no politics in eight feet of water. There are human beings in eight feet of water," Bullock told People Magazine.

The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation matched Bullock's pledge, giving a million to the newly established United Way Harvey Recovery Fund. The non-profit said it would distribute 100 percent of the donations it receives to relief and rebuilding efforts which are expected to take several years.

The comedian and TV personality personally donated tens of thousands of dollars to the American Red Cross and the SPCA Texas which is providing disaster relief for pets and their owners. DeGeneres took her relief efforts a step further though, teaming up with retail chain Wal-Mart to immediately donate $1 million to J.J. Watt's donation drive.

Cyrus went on Ellen DeGeneres' show this week to announce she was donating a total of $500,000 to several charities including the American Red Cross and the Greater Houston Community Fund. Fighting back tears, the young singer told the audience: "I am really happy to help in any way I can. And I hope people understand and can put themselves in those people’s shoes."

Kim Kardashian West along with her sisters Khloe and Kourtney donated half a million dollars to the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army. The reality television stars took to social media to implore their massive online followers to pitch in as well.

After US comedian Kevin Hart called on his fellow celebrities to help those hit by massive flooding in Houston, Johnson took up the challenge and donated $25,000 to the American Red Cross. The wrestling and movie star has since routinely urged his social media followers to do the same.

Celebrities aren't the only ones helping Harvey victims, US neighbors Canada and Mexico have also reached out. Both Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau offered disaster aid in phone conversations with Trump - despite tense NAFTA renegotiations. "We are neighbors, we are friends and that's what friends do," Mexican Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray said.

One of the largest offers of aid came from Venezuela - despite recent US sanctions and remarks from Trump that a "military option" in the country hasn't been ruled out. "We will always stand by the American people," said Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza. He announced $5 million in aid which will come from Citgo, the US arm of the country's state-run oil company.