[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 215 (Tuesday, December 14, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9129-S9130]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                               Tornadoes

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, the monstrous chain of tornadoes and 
violent storms that rampaged across Illinois and five other States last 
Friday is a terrible reminder in America that we are all one people.
  The killer storms didn't stop at State lines. They didn't 
discriminate based on skin color, creed, political party, or age. Among 
the more than 90 victims that we know of at this moment, the eldest was 
86 years old; the youngest, sadly, was a tiny baby of just 5 months 
old.
  Even as people in my State of Illinois grieve for victims in our 
State, we also mourn for and with all those who died and are suffering 
in nearby States: Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Missouri, and 
especially our neighbor to the south, Kentucky.
  Senator McConnell has spoken, and we have all seen reports, of the 
staggering destruction in Mayfield, KY, and other communities.
  I want to say a few words about the destruction that was wreaked on 
my own State and also about the tremendous outpouring of compassion and 
community.
  The National Weather Service tells us more than 30 tornadoes tore 
through 6 States last Friday night. The most destructive may go down as 
the longest continuous tornado in the history of the United States. 
That tornado appears to have remained on the ground for 4 hours, 
traveling 290 miles across

[[Page S9130]]

four States, pulverizing everything in its path.
  From Kentucky, there were reports of objects being lifted 30,000 feet 
in the air by the force of the tornado. Treasured family photos were 
found 100 miles away. Sadly, at least 80 people have lost their lives 
in Kentucky.
  In Illinois, we have also suffered staggering losses. Four tornadoes 
tore across our State between 7:30 and 10 last Friday. The greatest 
devastation was in Edwardsville, IL, Madison County, where a powerful 
tornado with winds up to 155 miles an hour peeled the roof off a 
massive Amazon distribution facility about 9 o'clock. I know the 
facility. I have been there.
  Massive concrete walls 11 inches thick and 40 feet high caved in, 
trapping employees who were working to fill Christmas and holiday 
orders. Fire and rescue crews from at least 20 communities rushed to 
the scene. More than 45 workers managed to escape from that mountain of 
rubble, but 6 workers died when the warehouse collapsed. The oldest was 
62; the youngest was 26. Thirty more workers were hurt. One is still 
hospitalized with critical injuries.
  I know I speak for millions of Americans when I say that our hearts 
go out to all those who perished in Friday's tornadoes and to those 
they left behind.
  I thank President Biden for responding quickly. Yesterday, our 
Governor, JB Pritzker, requested an emergency declaration, and of 
course we joined him. The President issued the emergency order just a 
few hours after that request. This assistance will help our State 
immediately, but there is more to do. Our thanks to the Red Cross and 
so many volunteers, local residents in communities across Illinois, for 
pitching in to help the victims. Supplementing that fine work are 
volunteers who have come to help in any way they can.
  It was ironic that last week I had a coffee for a man named Jose 
Andres. Jose Andres is well known by many across the country for his 
extraordinary efforts to feed hungry people. Last Tuesday, he spoke to 
us, a few members of our caucus, about his nonprofit organization, the 
World Central Kitchen. They have come to the rescue of people in need 
in Puerto Rico and Haiti and all across the United States and around 
the world.
  Today, World Central Kitchen is on the ground in Mayfield, KY, where 
the tornadoes struck last Friday, providing hot food to the victims. It 
is a time when America, a divided nation, actually sees our Nation 
coming together.
  The tornadoes didn't distinguish between red States and blue States, 
between Trump supporters and Biden supporters, and it is my great hope 
that the Senate will also put aside its politics for a few moments and 
stand together to help the victims.