The nation is just starting to realize the massive scale of destruction left behind by Hurricane Harvey, with more than 11 trillion gallons of rain flooding southeast Texas, 30,000 people driven out of their homes into shelters and at least 22 confirmed dead so far in what is shaping up to be one of the most devastating natural disasters in the country’s history.
The storm has also led to a number of events being canceled, including the planned auditions for the upcoming reboot of American Idol. The show announced Tuesday that the Idol bus scheduled to arrive in the state for auditions in Houston on Saturday and San Antonio on Monday has been called off. “The safety of the community is of the utmost importance and our thoughts go out to all of those affected,” read a statement from the show’s producers.
Those still interested in auditioning are encouraged to attend future scheduled stops in Louisiana or apply online. The ABC relaunch of the show is slated to kick off next year with longtime host Ryan Seacrest and judge Katy Perry, with no other judges announced at press time.
A number of stars have stepped forward to offer help to the victims of the storm, including Beyonce, Drake, The Chainsmokers, Kevin Hart, Chris Young, Kim Kardashian, DJ Khaled, Nicki Minaj and several others. The Red Cross has provided a list of flood safety tips, and those who wish to help can visit redcross.org, call 1-800-RED-CROSS or text the word HARVEY to 90999 to make a $10 donation. Other organizations supporting those affected include AmeriCares, Catholic Charities, the Salvation Army and AABB.
A note about our Texas auditions: pic.twitter.com/h88A0qiBfY
— American Idol (@AmericanIdol) August 29, 2017
This story first appeared on billboard.com
