[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 64 (Wednesday, May 5, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4727-S4728]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           MIDWEST TORNADOES

  Mr. NICKLES. Mr. President, yesterday, Senator Inhofe and myself, 
Congressmen J.C. Watts, Frank Lucas and Steve Largent, as well as the 
Governor of Oklahoma, and James Lee Witt, Director of FEMA, toured the 
Oklahoma tornado disaster.
  I have been in the Senate, I guess, 19 years now, and I have looked 
at the damage of several tornadoes in the State for the last many 
years. But I have never seen this type of devastation nor this level 
and this extent before. This may be the most devastating tornado that 
we have had in total damages in our State history. It has certainly 
produced one of the largest tornadoes, probably the largest number of 
tornadoes. I read one press account that said there were 45 tornadoes 
in the State of Oklahoma on Monday. One particular tornado was much 
larger than the others. Many reports said it was a quarter of a mile 
wide, or maybe half a mile wide, and at some points it was maybe a mile 
wide and stayed on the ground for a long period of time--some people 
said maybe as much as 2 hours.
  What we did see was a tremendous amount of damage--a devastating 
amount of damage that destroyed, it was estimated, 1,500 or 2,000 
homes. We will find out. Unfortunately, it has taken 40-some lives. I 
say unfortunately. I think Oklahoma is very fortunate. I think the 
fatality toll could have been in the hundreds if not thousands, because 
we looked at homes that were just totally demolished as if a bomb had 
gone inside each one of those homes and absolutely exploded the homes. 
There was nothing but just some elements of rubble. To think that 
people survived in many of these homes is truly a blessing, truly a 
miracle that I think we will find recounted day after day.
  Needless to say, we are moved by the tragedy, and also by the 
compassion that is being expressed by so many people from across the 
country.
  We were there to say that we wanted to help, that our government 
would help, that we will do everything that we can. Our government 
steps in in times of tragedy and national disasters to help lend 
assistance. And we will do that.
  I will also say that won't be enough. It will take a lot of support 
from individuals, from churches, from communities, from families and 
friends to try to replace these homes and these families, and to make 
them whole again. And they will. They will survive. They are very 
solid.
  One of the things I will never forget was seeing this area that is 
totally demolished and one house which hardly had anything left 
standing, and there was an American flag flying very high with people 
very proud.
  Mr. President, it makes me proud to be an Oklahoman. It makes me 
proud to be an American, and proud to represent the great people of 
Oklahoma.

[[Page S4728]]

  With that, Mr. President, I yield the remainder of my time to my 
colleague from Oklahoma, Senator Inhofe.
  Mr. INHOFE addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Oklahoma is recognized.
  Mr. INHOFE. Thank you, Mr. President. I thank my colleague, the 
senior Senator from Oklahoma.
  Mr. President, in Oklahoma we have gone through tragedies that are 
indescribable. The Murrah Federal Office Building was the most 
significant terrorist attack on domestic soil in the history of 
America. It is one that you can't describe standing here on the Senate 
floor. I have been there. And I remember so well the thundering march, 
the cadence of the fire trucks as they were going to try to extract so 
many people out of the building, and all types of volunteers.

  We saw the same thing yesterday. It was indescribable. I note the 
story of a horse that was picked up and taken a quarter of a mile in 
the air, and dropped on top of a car, then a car on top of a house, and 
the twisted ``I'' beams. The power, the indescribable power that was 
there.
  James Lee Witt--I am very complimentary of James Lee Witt, a man I 
have known long before he was Director of FEMA. As chairman of the 
committee that has jurisdiction over FEMA, I work very closely with 
him. And I tell you right now, he had his hands on there. He was 
personally involved in it. He explained to us that this is the most 
significant tornado that he had seen in terms of the devastating damage 
and power that was there.
  You always remember one or two things. I recall in the helicopter 
ride going across a little town called Moore, OK. Everything was 
devastated in that town, except right across the street from the most 
devastating part of this tornado stood the First Baptist Church of 
Moore, OK. It had been untouched.
  As my senior Senator from Oklahoma said, we are so appreciative of 
everyone coming together, for all of the comments of our colleagues 
since we have been back, the prayers that we had this morning from the 
Senate Chaplain and others, and people like the Governor of Oklahoma, 
the mayor of Oklahoma City throughout yesterday, the police departments 
and the fire departments, all of the volunteers, and certainly FEMA 
bringing this all together.
  We are very thankful, and we in Oklahoma will be bound to that. We 
ask for your continued prayers for the families, for those who lost 
their lives, and for the families of those who lost their lives.
  I thank very much all of the government coming together to help us 
rebuild the damage that has been done.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.
  Mr. BROWNBACK addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Kansas.
  Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak as if 
in morning business for a period of up to 5 minutes.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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