![\"\"](\"https:\/\/stateofthenation2012.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/promo332933162.jpg\")
<\/a>REUTERS – The One America Appeal was launched after Hurricane Harvey<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n
BBC<\/p>\n
The five living former US presidents have gathered for a concert in aid of victims of the hurricanes which ravaged the US this year.<\/strong><\/p>\n Barack Obama, George W Bush, Bill Clinton, George HW Bush and Jimmy Carter appeared in Texas on Saturday.<\/p>\n The three Democrats and two Republicans came together behind The One America Appeal, set up to help those caught up in the devastating trails of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria.<\/p>\n It has raised $31m (\u00a323.5m) so far.<\/p>\n The politicians launched the appeal in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, which caused billions in damage after it made landfall in Texas in August.<\/p>\n REUTERS However, it has since been expanded to include the communities in Florida, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands which were hit by the storms which followed.<\/p>\n “As former presidents, we wanted to help our fellow Americans begin to recover,” Mr Obama explained to concertgoers in a pre-recorded message.<\/p>\n His immediate predecessor added: “People are hurting down here but as one Texan put it, we’ve got more love in Texas than water.”<\/p>\n All five presidents appeared on stage for the anthem, before taking their seats to watch acts including Lee Greenwood, who opened with Proud to be an American, and Lady Gaga.<\/p>\n They were not joined by sitting President Donald Trump, who sent a message ahead of the show praising their “wonderful” work and expressing his “deep gratitude”.<\/p>\n Both Mr Obama and the younger Mr Bush have made speeches in the last week which have been\u00a0seen as veiled criticism<\/a>\u00a0of the former reality TV star’s tenure in the White House.<\/p>\n\n
<\/a>
Image captionLady Gaga gave a surprise performance<\/p><\/div>\n