[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 143 (Thursday, November 20, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6189-S6190]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              ANNIVERSARY OF THE WASHINGTON, IL TORNADOES

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, people throughout Illinois have been 
reflecting this week on the 1-year anniversary of the day that rare 
November tornadoes tore through Illinois, causing widespread 
devastation and eight deaths in our State. The outbreak, which happened 
on November 17, 2013, destroyed hundreds of homes and rendered 
thousands uninhabitable.
  This tornado event was the deadliest and costliest in the State of 
Illinois for the month of November--and it was the fourth largest 
outbreak for the State overall. Two of the tornadoes that day rated 
EF4. That means the winds were more than 166 miles per hour. In fact, 
the National Weather Service clocked a peak wind of 190 miles per hour 
on that day. Washington, Gifford,

[[Page S6190]]

Brookport, East Peoria, Pekin, the list of cities touched by the 
tornadoes in the State goes on and on.
  I visited Washington, IL, near Peoria, 5 days after the tornado--and 
Gifford, IL, just a few days after that. What I saw was heartbreaking. 
In the city of Washington, alone, 1,108 homes were damaged--most were 
damaged very badly. Five hundred ninety-five of those homes were 
destroyed. I saw bare foundations where families had lived just days 
before. Trees had been reduced to splinters. Street signs had been torn 
out of the ground making it nearly impossible to see where one block 
ended and another began.
  The loss of homes and property was really difficult to bear, but the 
real tragedy lies in the lives that were claimed. Three people died in 
Washington, two people died in Washington County near St. Louis, and 
three were killed in downstate Massac County, which is located along 
the Ohio River.
  It is a miracle more lives were not lost, particularly in the path of 
the EF4 tornado that touched down in East Peoria, traveled through the 
city of Washington and continued up to Long Point, IL. In Washington, 
many lives may have been saved by the fact that so many members of the 
community were in church when the tornado came through. When the sirens 
went off, 500 people inside Crossroads United Methodist Church huddled 
in a storm shelter in the building. Half a mile away, at the Apostolic 
Christian Church, many of the 450 or so people who were there took 
refuge in Sunday school rooms. The tornado, spinning at nearly 200 
miles per hour changed course by several degrees just seconds before 
impact and went right between those two churches. Neither church was 
damaged.
  I can't say enough about the tireless efforts the emergency personnel 
who were there from the minute the sirens went off. They were there to 
help under the most extraordinary circumstances. I supported Governor 
Quinn's request for a Federal disaster declaration for 15 counties in 
the State. The President granted ``individual assistance'' to people in 
Champaign, Douglas, Fayette, Grundy, Jasper, LaSalle, Massac, Pope, 
Tazewell, Vermilion, Wabash, Washington, Wayne, Will, and Woodford 
Counties. This declaration allowed people in those communities whose 
homes and businesses were damaged to start repairs and to find 
temporary housing if they needed it. The Federal Emergency Management 
Agency has provided more than $28 million in loans to the tornado 
victims. The Small Business Administration also made loans available to 
businesses in the affected counties. To date, it has provided 305 loans 
for a total of $25.8 million.
  The people who live and work in the damaged communities have made 
incredible progress rebuilding. Washington Mayor Gary Manier predicted 
last year that the city would rebuild within a year. The task proved 
far greater than anyone would have thought but the city has made great 
strides. Building permits have been issued for more than 70 percent of 
the damaged properties. More than 25 percent of the destroyed homes 
have been replaced and reoccupied. Work remains to be done but the city 
has seen enormous progress.
  Thousands of volunteers have helped with the cleanup. Ben Davidson, 
executive pastor at Bethany Community Church, has coordinated volunteer 
efforts since the early stages. He says volunteers have accounted for 
13,000 workdays and 70,000 hours. Although most volunteers have been 
from central Illinois, people from all over the State continue to show 
up on weekends to help plant trees and cut weeds on neglected 
properties. Hearing the stories of Illinoisans working together to help 
neighbors and even strangers get back on their feet makes me proud to 
be from Illinois. Thank you to everyone engaged in the rescue and 
cleanup at every level.
  I also want to recognize the hard work and dedication of: Jonathon 
Monken, head of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency; Gifford Mayor 
Derald Ackerman; Brookport Mayor John Klaffer; and Metropolis Mayor 
Billy McDaniel. They were there when their constituents and their 
communities needed them the most.
  I am thinking of all those whose lives were affected by this tragic 
event. We are rebuilding--as Americans always do--and will be stronger 
for it.

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