[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 9 (Thursday, January 13, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Page S219]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               RECOGNIZING BOWLING GREEN UTILITY WORKERS

 Mr. PAUL. Mr. President, during the early morning hours of 
December 11, 2021, Kentucky endured a series of tornadoes that proved 
to be the deadliest storms in the Commonwealth's history. There was 
damage throughout Southern Kentucky and beyond. Roofs were ripped off 
and trees snapped like twigs, but in this difficult time our community 
continues to come together and help one another. Immediately after, 
volunteers from all around Kentucky and even outside the Commonwealth 
showed up to help clean up the debris. Despite the devastation, I am 
reminded that the unbridled spirit of our Commonwealth shines its 
brightest during these times of adversity.
  Of the many heroes that emerged during this crisis were the people of 
Bowling Green Municipal Utilities who immediately responded to the 
destruction and worked collectively to restore electricity to countless 
homes. Bowling Green Municipal Utilities reported 24,000 of its 31,500 
customers were initially without power and 52 transmission polls had 
been severely damaged. By the next morning half of these powerless 
homes had their electricity restored. This should have been time for 
the men and women of BGMU to enjoy the upcoming holiday season. 
Instead, they responded to the call of duty, working long shifts in the 
freezing cold. Because of their efforts, they were able to restore 
power to countless members of the community and provided relief to 
those most in need. We have a long road to recovery, but if we all 
display the perseverance our linemen and Kentuckians demonstrated, the 
Commonwealth will soon be back better than ever. I would like to 
personally thank people of Bowling Green Municipal Utilities for their 
continued service to all the impacted communities.

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