[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 7]
[House]
[Page 9707]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   REMEMBERING FLOOD OF JUNE 23, 2016

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Carter of Georgia). The Chair recognizes 
the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Jenkins) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. JENKINS of West Virginia. Mr. Speaker, 1 year ago, on June 23, 
2016, we experienced one of the darkest days in West Virginia's 
history.
  Floodwaters raced through small towns without warning, washing away 
homes, washing away businesses, and, yes, washing away lives. Twenty-
three souls were lost, while thousands were left without shelter and 
food.
  Now as we approach the 1-year anniversary of this tragic event, we 
pause to remember those we lost and honor their lives. We reflect on 
how our communities changed over this past year. We pledge to continue 
rebuilding until our towns and our cities are better than they were 
before the rivers rose.
  We have seen so many examples of strength, faith, and hope in this 
past year, examples that carry us forward and inspire us all. More work 
remains to be done. We still have churches, schools, libraries, and 
other community centers that need to be rebuilt, replaced, and 
restocked. Many are still in temporary and rental housing. The scars 
still remain.
  But the message that we should carry forward is the one that carried 
us through this terrible event: the knowledge that West Virginians will 
always have each other's backs. We are stronger when we stand united 
than when we stand alone.
  Through everything that lies ahead, we will stay strong. We will 
thank those who put their lives on the line to help rescue others. We 
will remember and honor those whom we lost, and we will continue to 
offer our support to those who are rebuilding their lives. That is what 
we do as neighbors. That is what we do as friends. That is what we do 
as West Virginians.

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