J.J. Watt's Hurricane Harvey Fundraiser Surpasses $27M After $5M Donation

Adam Wells @adamwells1985Featured ColumnistSeptember 6, 2017

Sep 3, 2017; Houston, TX, USA;
Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt holds a box of relief supplies on his shoulder while handing them out to people impacted by Hurricane Harvey. Watt's Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund has raised more than $18 million to date to help those affected by the storm. Mandatory Credit: Brett Coomer-Houston Chronicle/Pool Photo via USA TODAY NETWORK

Brett Coomer-USA TODAY NETWORK

As Texas continues its rebuilding efforts from the devastating effects of Hurricane Harvey, J.J. Watt's Houston relief fund has now surpassed $27 million in donations.

Watt posted the updated amount on Twitter on Wednesday, noting Charles Butt, owner of the San Antonio-based H-E-B supermarket chain, pledged $5 million to the campaign:

JJ Watt @JJWatt
$27 MILLION! Thanks in part to an incredibly generous $5 million donation from Mr. Charles Butt at HEB. https://t.co/SR6DmnNbyM

Per USA Today's Doyle Rice, citing a report from weather firm AccuWeather, Hurricane Harvey is estimated to be the costliest natural disaster in United States history with an estimated $190 billion in total damages.

"Parts of Houston, the United States' fourth-largest city, will be uninhabitable for weeks and possibly months due to water damage, mold, disease-ridden water and all that will follow this 1,000-year flood," AccuWeather president Joel Myers said.

Watt, who has played for the Houston Texans since he entered the NFL in 2011, announced Aug. 27 he was starting a fundraiser to help the recovery efforts in Texas following Hurricane Harvey.

His initial goal for the fundraiser was $200,000, but that amount has increased as more people have chipped in. As of Wednesday, 188,757 donors have pledged more than $27 million to Watt's YouCaring site.