Kenny Chesney’s House Destroyed by Hurricane Irma

Kenny Chesney has lost his home on the U.S. Virgin Island of St. John after the region was struck by Hurricane Irma.

“It’s just simply gone,” Chesney told HLN. “That place and the people mean so much more to me than my house.”

The “No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems” singer also added that he is starting a relief organization called Love for Love City to help the U.S. and British Virgin Islands recover from Irma.

“I’m gonna do everything that I possibly can to try to relieve some stress from people that I’ve really grown to love over the years, who have meant so much to my life,” Chesney said. “This place, these islands, have meant so much to me.”

“They’ve shaped me as a human being. It’s given me creativity. It’s given me a different way to look at the world, a different window to see the world through. And when you look through that window right now, as you can tell, it’s just devastation. It’s really odd to see such a beautiful place look like a war zone.”

Chesney later released a statement on Twitter reiterating the damages to the region. He also shared several photos of the area, which show the destruction of Irma.

“We’re really getting a sense of how bad this all is,” he wrote. “I don’t know what to say. 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.”

See Chesney’s full statement below.