Anniversary of the Washington, IL Tornadoes

Floor Speech

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, people throughout Illinois have been reflecting this week on the 1-year anniversary of the day that rare November tornadoes tore through Illinois, causing widespread devastation and eight deaths in our State. The outbreak, which happened on November 17, 2013, destroyed hundreds of homes and rendered thousands uninhabitable.

This tornado event was the deadliest and costliest in the State of Illinois for the month of November--and it was the fourth largest outbreak for the State overall. Two of the tornadoes that day rated EF4. That means the winds were more than 166 miles per hour. In fact, the National Weather Service clocked a peak wind of 190 miles per hour on that day. Washington, Gifford, Brookport, East Peoria, Pekin, the list of cities touched by the tornadoes in the State goes on and on.

I visited Washington, IL, near Peoria, 5 days after the tornado--and Gifford, IL, just a few days after that. What I saw was heartbreaking. In the city of Washington, alone, 1,108 homes were damaged--most were damaged very badly. Five hundred ninety-five of those homes were destroyed. I saw bare foundations where families had lived just days before. Trees had been reduced to splinters. Street signs had been torn out of the ground making it nearly impossible to see where one block ended and another began.

The loss of homes and property was really difficult to bear, but the real tragedy lies in the lives that were claimed. Three people died in Washington, two people died in Washington County near St. Louis, and three were killed in downstate Massac County, which is located along the Ohio River.

It is a miracle more lives were not lost, particularly in the path of the EF4 tornado that touched down in East Peoria, traveled through the city of Washington and continued up to Long Point, IL. In Washington, many lives may have been saved by the fact that so many members of the community were in church when the tornado came through. When the sirens went off, 500 people inside Crossroads United Methodist Church huddled in a storm shelter in the building. Half a mile away, at the Apostolic Christian Church, many of the 450 or so people who were there took refuge in Sunday school rooms. The tornado, spinning at nearly 200 miles per hour changed course by several degrees just seconds before impact and went right between those two churches. Neither church was damaged.

I can't say enough about the tireless efforts the emergency personnel who were there from the minute the sirens went off. They were there to help under the most extraordinary circumstances. I supported Governor Quinn's request for a Federal disaster declaration for 15 counties in the State. The President granted ``individual assistance'' to people in Champaign, Douglas, Fayette, Grundy, Jasper, LaSalle, Massac, Pope, Tazewell, Vermilion, Wabash, Washington, Wayne, Will, and Woodford Counties. This declaration allowed people in those communities whose homes and businesses were damaged to start repairs and to find temporary housing if they needed it. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has provided more than $28 million in loans to the tornado victims. The Small Business Administration also made loans available to businesses in the affected counties. To date, it has provided 305 loans for a total of $25.8 million.

The people who live and work in the damaged communities have made incredible progress rebuilding. Washington Mayor Gary Manier predicted last year that the city would rebuild within a year. The task proved far greater than anyone would have thought but the city has made great strides. Building permits have been issued for more than 70 percent of the damaged properties. More than 25 percent of the destroyed homes have been replaced and reoccupied. Work remains to be done but the city has seen enormous progress.

Thousands of volunteers have helped with the cleanup. Ben Davidson, executive pastor at Bethany Community Church, has coordinated volunteer efforts since the early stages. He says volunteers have accounted for 13,000 workdays and 70,000 hours. Although most volunteers have been from central Illinois, people from all over the State continue to show up on weekends to help plant trees and cut weeds on neglected properties. Hearing the stories of Illinoisans working together to help neighbors and even strangers get back on their feet makes me proud to be from Illinois. Thank you to everyone engaged in the rescue and cleanup at every level.

I also want to recognize the hard work and dedication of: Jonathon Monken, head of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency; Gifford Mayor Derald Ackerman; Brookport Mayor John Klaffer; and Metropolis Mayor Billy McDaniel. They were there when their constituents and their communities needed them the most.

I am thinking of all those whose lives were affected by this tragic event. We are rebuilding--as Americans always do--and will be stronger for it.

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