[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 87 (Monday, May 20, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Page S3768]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                             Houston Storms

  Mr. CORNYN. Madam President, last Thursday night, as I was sitting on 
my airplane scheduled to go into Houston, TX, a severe storm slammed 
the entire southeastern portion of our State, bringing heavy rains, 
roaring winds, and flooding to millions of people in the area.
  Now, Houston and Southeast Texas are no strangers to hurricanes and 
natural disasters, but this was something altogether different. Madam 
President, 100-mile-per-hour winds ripped through the region, tearing 
windows out of skyscrapers in downtown Houston and toppling 
transmission towers, power lines, and uprooting trees. Homes, 
businesses, roads, and vehicles were damaged by the storms, and, sadly, 
at least eight Texans have lost their lives.
  Shortly after the storm, more than 1 million Texans lost power, and 
it is starting to get warm in Texas as we approach the summer, and some 
200,000 homes remain without electricity or air-conditioning. Today, 
more than 50 campuses across the Houston Independent School District 
are closed due to power outages.
  As I said, the Houston region is no stranger to storms, and Texans 
did as they always do: They immediately mobilized to support those who 
suffered the worst impact. I want to commend the brave first responders 
and volunteers and just the good neighbors who supported the emergency 
response over the last several days as well as the crews who are 
working to clear debris and restore power even as I speak.
  As we move from rescue to recovery efforts, my team and I are 
prepared to help in any way we can to help those communities rebuild.