-9999

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, this past weekend, the people of Kentucky endured significant severe weather. The storms that ripped through the Commonwealth on Friday caused mass power outages, localized flooding, and high winds that reached up to 75 miles an hour. At least one tornado was recorded in west Kentucky.

Sadly, the storms have taken the lives of five Kentuckians. Elaine and I send our deepest condolences to the families who are grieving their lost loved ones. My office has been in close contact with Governor Beshear's team and local officials across the State. Emergency response efforts are working overtime to ensure those impacted have the resources to make a rapid recovery.

At peak, there were more than half a million households without power. I am grateful to the linemen and chainsaw teams that have tirelessly worked around the clock to restore power throughout the State. A number of school districts remain closed today as power restoration efforts continue.

So thank you to all the first responders who have graciously deployed without hesitation. The generosity and resilience on display in the on- the-ground operations have been truly inspiring. Throughout the Commonwealth, Kentuckians are rolling up their sleeves to help where they can, whether it is assisting clean-up efforts with chainsaws in hand or opening their homes to those in need. Kentuckians have both big hearts and hard knuckles, and together, we will get through.

My prayers are with all the storm victims and their families, and I stand ready to assist with our swift recovery in the days ahead.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source