[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 5]
[Senate]
[Pages 6825-6826]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         SOUTHEASTERN TORNADOES

  Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. President, I want to discuss today the tragedy that 
has occurred in Alabama and other States across the Southeast as a 
result of the tornadoes that hit our region in a 24-hour period between 
8 a.m. in the morning on April 27 and 8 a.m. in the morning on April 
28. The National Weather Service estimates there were a total of 312 
tornadoes across the Southeast. The worst outbreak previously reported 
occurred in April of 1974, and that was with 148 tornadoes.
  The Birmingham-Tuscaloosa F4 tornado had a path with a maximum width 
of 1.5 miles and a length, from the Tuscaloosa to Birmingham area, of 
80 miles. It stayed on the ground almost continuously--very unusual. It 
went through a number of populated areas, and that tornado alone 
resulted in 65 deaths. Alabama's current death toll is nearing 250, 
with thousands injured. Frankly, after seeing the damage to the 
affected areas, I am amazed we did not lose more lives. As I talked to 
mayors and others on the ground, they said the same thing.
  I talked to Mayor Gunnin in Hackleburg today. I believe he was the 
one who told me there were about 18 killed, and he was pleased it was 
that low. They were hammered with an F5, the highest, strongest 
tornado, which basically destroyed his whole town. All his businesses, 
including the distribution center for a jeans manufacturing company, 
have been destroyed. It is very difficult for them to pay for anything. 
Their businesses that pay a sales tax that goes to the city have been 
damaged, and he has made the point--and it is a good example--that he, 
in this little town of Hackleburg, had emergency funds, but they have 
been on massive overtime for the week since the event and other costs 
are arising and it is very difficult for him.
  I want to thank President Obama for the quick response he made to the 
tragedy. The people of Alabama appreciated the fact that he, and later 
Cabinet members, actually visited some of the devastated areas. We 
appreciate the quick action in declaring Alabama and other areas major 
disaster areas. That does help in a lot of different ways.
  I also had the opportunity to be with him in Tuscaloosa when he came 
there. Mrs. Obama, of course, did a beautiful job also of talking to 
the people who have lost so much and comforting them. Secretary 
Napolitano came on Sunday to the Pratt City area in Birmingham, along 
with several other Cabinet members. I think they also got a real 
appreciation for the severity of the damage and reassured Alabamians 
that help would be on the way in an appropriate fashion.
  It is certain that it will take, for a number of our communities, an 
integrated, coordinated State, local, and Federal response to get these 
communities back on track. That is why we have a Federal Emergency 
Management Agency. That is why we have monies in the budget for these 
kinds of things, although this one is a particularly damaging event, I 
have to say.
  As the ranking member on the Budget Committee, I am aware we have to 
be careful about how we spend money. We certainly don't have any 
money--not a dime--to waste.
  I have to tell you, every time I have been there or I have talked to 
people on the ground, they tell me how impressed they are with the 
volunteers who are arriving from all over the country, bringing food 
and water and helping people who are already working. They are bringing 
chainsaws to help clear roads and highways and driveways to people's 
homes. That has been real encouraging, and it makes me very proud to 
represent a group of people who have the integrity and the work ethic 
and the determination to overcome tragedy. It has been encouraging to 
me.
  Having walked through the devastated neighborhoods less than 24 hours 
after the tornado, I can tell you people were stunned at the damages, 
at the complete loss of homes and belongings. Many of the people 
believed themselves lucky to be alive. Their entire roof was gone, most 
of the walls were gone, and yet somehow they came out with minor 
injuries or less severe injuries. Others, of course, did not survive, 
and others received severe injuries. It is always amazing to me in a 
tornado situation how a house can be just obliterated, and persons can 
come out of it with not too severe an injury, and for that they were 
expressing great appreciation. I think it is a reflection of the faith 
these individuals have in a higher being who, I think, gives them the 
courage to go on.
  One of the things that is perfectly clear is that housing in some 
areas will be a critical matter. Many houses are totally destroyed--
nothing but a concrete slab left. Of course, many mobile homes or 
manufactured homes were completely lost. They are not on a slab, so 
those homes have been rolled over and completely demolished or 
disappeared basically. So we are going to need to work in a way that 
FEMA has done before to provide emergency housing.
  In the larger areas where there is more housing around--there is 
vacant housing in some of our areas--they ought to be moved promptly 
into that vacant housing that currently exists. In some areas there is 
just not housing for individuals to move into. I was told today by two 
mayors that they have people still in recreational areas--gyms and that 
kind of thing--using those as a place for shelter. We are definitely 
not where we need to be.
  Yet some FEMA trailers are being moved into areas of the State. That 
may have to be done. I wish we could avoid that step, but in many areas 
it cannot be avoided--avoided in the sense that, to me, the best way to 
handle a situation where a person's home is gone is to help that person 
move as quickly as possible into what could be a permanent residence--
either through rental or purchase. The longer that person is in a 
temporary residence the more likely they are also often receiving 
Federal assistance. As long as they are in this temporary limbo 
circumstance, their life is less stable, and the Federal Government is 
spending more money, money that could be utilized better if we can 
avoid spending it for temporary housing so it could be used to 
facilitate permanent housing.

[[Page 6826]]

That would be a more effective policy, but it is not easy. In some 
instances, it cannot be done.
  Initial reports indicate that Alabama's losses may rival or surpass 
its $1 billion loss in Hurricane Katrina. That is a factor we do not 
normally expect from tornadoes. We will wrestle with those costs as we 
go forward. But dollar losses are nothing compared to the severe loss 
of life. We have a record-setting loss of life.
  Going through the Rosedale Court area of Tuscaloosa, AL, seeing first 
responders and volunteers frantically trying to help--in particular, 
they were searching for a missing young girl. They kept on and there 
were a large number of people there throughout this area where metal 
was twisted and roofs were gone and no walls, hardly, were standing. 
Materials were 3 feet deep on the floor, of plywood, roofing and the 
like. They found that young child, but unfortunately it was too late 
and her life had been lost.
  That is the kind of thing that has been happening throughout the 
State. Our people are responding with courage and dignity and hard 
work. Volunteers from all over the country and all over Alabama are 
assisting. I was with a seafood group Friday, down from Bayou La Batre, 
AL, the seafood capital, in many ways, of the Gulf of Mexico, and they 
had been helped so many times over the decades because of various 
hurricanes that came through, they wanted to help so they brought large 
amounts of shrimp and seafood and their cookers. They were going to 
Tuscaloosa or some of the other areas and serving people out there who 
were volunteering or were emergency responders who were working to help 
in that neighborhood. That is the kind of thing that makes us proud and 
makes us all recognize the good that we have in our people.
  I wished to share these thoughts and to note I have filed a 
resolution that deals with this disaster, expressing the condolences of 
the United States and noting many of the factors that are relevant to 
this damage and I will be asking the Senate agree to that. I note it 
has been cosponsored by Senator Shelby, my colleague from Alabama, 
Senators Alexander and Corker from Tennessee, Senators Cochran and 
Wicker from Mississippi, Senators Chambliss and Isakson from Georgia, 
and I understand others are signing on as we proceed.
  I thank the administration for helping to respond properly. I thank 
the volunteers from all over America who have come to our State to 
assist those in need.
  I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.
  Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that I be able 
to speak as in morning business for up to 15 minutes.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

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