[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 142 (Tuesday, September 6, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4418-S4419]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                       Eastern Kentucky Flooding

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, it has been over a month since 
relentless rains and major flooding devastated Eastern Kentucky. This 
disaster took homes, businesses, and at least 39 lives. Only a few 
months after tornadoes had caused widespread damage in the western part 
of our State, catastrophe struck our Commonwealth one more time.
  I traveled back to Eastern Kentucky multiple times during the August 
State work period to survey damage, meet with survivors, and lend any 
help I could. What I saw were scenes of absolute destruction: water-
logged houses, swollen creeks, washed-out roads. I heard directly from 
survivors who have shouldered impossible burdens over the past month, 
struggling to salvage belongings and to literally try to rebuild their 
lives. Agencies report that thousands of homes were destroyed and 
damaged in the flooding. Many of those affected lack flood insurance.
  I will say that as devastating as the flooding was, stories of 
heroism and generosity still shine through. The local officials I met 
with reserved special praise for Kentucky's National Guard. Our 
guardsmen mobilized at the outset of this crisis to perform daring 
rescues and to distribute critical supplies to stranded residents. 
Regular citizens also came to the aid of their neighbors and friends in 
any way they could, sometimes in trucks and sometimes on horseback or 
jet skis.
  Help has poured in from around our State and beyond, both from 
private charities and trained emergency responders, but, of course, 
there is still a tremendous need for help. Eastern Kentucky has 
notoriously rugged terrain. It also had preexisting communications 
issues before the floods. These factors have made rescue and rebuilding 
uniquely challenging already, and this is only the beginning.
  Although FEMA is playing a critical role in Eastern Kentucky's 
recovery, Kentuckians have grave concerns about shortcomings in the 
Federal response. The Agency's convoluted application processes have 
left far too many

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flood victims without the timely aid they need, often due to just 
simple clerical errors. I heard about these issues firsthand from 
countless Kentuckians I met during my multiple visits.
  Of course, I quickly called FEMA Administrator Criswell to say her 
Agency needs to step it up. I visited the Kentucky Emergency Operations 
Center to review the joint State and Federal response firsthand. I 
convened leaders from our hardest hit counties, the State legislature, 
and Federal response Agencies so we have clearer lines of communication 
moving forward.
  I hope and expect aid will begin to flow more smoothly to Eastern 
Kentucky soon, and I will continue working around the clock here in 
Washington to try to help make that happen.
  And I promise to keep standing strong by Eastern Kentucky's side as 
our immediate efforts evolve into longer term rebuilding.
  A long road--a very long road--to recovery lies before us, but 
Eastern Kentucky will come back stronger than ever.