[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 5]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 6320]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               SEVERE WEATHER TRAGEDY IN TUSHKA, OKLAHOMA

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. DAN BOREN

                              of oklahoma

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, April 15, 2011

  Mr. BOREN. Mr. Speaker, I rise this afternoon with a heavy heart.
  Last night, powerful storms ripped through my district and the State 
of Oklahoma killing multiple people and causing millions of dollars in 
damage.
  According to the National Weather Service, yesterday at 8:16 pm 
Oklahoma time, a tornado touched down near the town of Tushka, Oklahoma 
in Pushmataha County, killing at least two of my constituents and 
causing millions of dollars in damage.
  This is a terrible tragedy.
  Oklahomans are well aware of the threat they face every year from 
severe weather.
  But this tragedy and these types of storms are never easy for anyone 
to bear.
  In fact, the damage caused by yesterday's storm is very personal to 
me.
  During my time representing eastern Oklahoma in the House of 
Representatives, I have visited the school in Tushka that has been 
destroyed by this storm.
  Tushka is a small rural town in Southeastern Oklahoma.
  A town much like many of the small communities each of us represent 
here in Congress.
  The people of Tushka are a group of hardworking and resilient 
Oklahomans who will undoubtedly get through this tragedy.
  But at this difficult moment, I want to pause and let the victims and 
families who are suffering because of these storms know that my wife 
Andrea and I are praying for them during this difficult hour.

                          ____________________