[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 1]
[Senate]
[Page 430]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                ANNIVERSARY OF DECEMBER/JANUARY FLOODING

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I come to reflect on the 1-year 
anniversary of rain and winter storms that swept across the State of 
Illinois, causing widespread flooding and devastation.
  In the midst of the holidays, heavy rainfall of over 7 inches a day 
in some areas caused water levels on rivers in Illinois to reach 
record, or near record, heights. The Mississippi River at Thebes 
reached its highest crest level on record at 47.7 feet.
  Flooding forced many communities to evacuate their homes for their 
own safety. Damages to property in these Illinois communities totaled 
more than $15 million.
  Sadly, these storms were so severe that flooded roadways tragically 
claimed the lives of 10 people whose vehicles were swept away by 
flooding.
  Alexander and Randolph counties were two areas most impacted by this 
flood. I went to visit two towns in these areas--Olive Branch, IL, and 
Evansville, IL--and I saw miles of flood damage to agricultural lands, 
homes, and businesses. What I saw was heartbreaking.
  I spoke with residents who were concerned about being able to recover 
from the flood and resulting damages and who were concerned about what 
could happen if levees overtop and breach again in the future.
  People like Bruce Ford, from Olive Branch, IL, worked day and night 
to clean out debris and move equipment back into their businesses, but 
he worried about how long he would be out of business and whether or 
not he would be able to rebuild in the event of another disaster. And 
he is not alone--many residents in these communities worry that they 
will not have the means to fix properties and businesses all over 
again.
  The Governor declared 23 counties State disaster areas, and State and 
local emergency responders were dispatched to affected areas. I 
supported his request for a Federal disaster declaration for 21 
counties in the State.
  The State disaster declaration allowed people in affected communities 
whose homes and businesses were damaged to start repairs and receive 
the help they needed.
  And I want to say thanks for the hard work and dedication of James 
Joseph, head of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency; he was there 
when his constituents and communities needed him the most.
  The State provided over 997,000 sandbags, over 4,000 tons of sand, 
and 117 Illinois Department of Transportation trucks for flood 
mitigation and response efforts.
  The Small Business Administration also made loans available to 
homeowners and businesses in Christian, Iroquois, Ford, Kankakee, 
Macon, Montgomery, Sangamon, Shelby, and Vermilion Counties.
  I want to acknowledge the dedication of the State and Federal 
employees who pitched in at every level, from the Federal Emergency 
Management Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers to the Illinois 
Emergency Management Agency.
  Finally, I can't overstate how proud I am of the volunteers, National 
Guard members, and local law enforcement agencies who came forward to 
keep our communities safe. Before flooding began, local law enforcement 
and emergency responders went door-to-door to advise residents to 
evacuate and move to higher ground, saving the lives of many who heeded 
the call and sought out shelter with family and friends before the 
flooding began.
  There is still work to be done, but the people who live and work in 
the damaged communities have made incredible progress rebuilding. 
Thousands of volunteers have helped with the cleanup. People from all 
over the State pitched in to help their neighbors and even strangers 
get back on their feet. Hearing these kinds of stories make me proud to 
be from Illinois.
  Our thoughts remain with the many people who lost their loved ones, 
their homes, and other property last year.
  I want to thank everyone who has been engaged in the rescue and 
cleanup.
  We are rebuilding--as Illinoisans always do--and we will be stronger 
for it.

                          ____________________