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Senator, I would like to begin with you, if I may. You heard FEMA's response. They made a clear argument for why the state doesn't qualify. Why is that not good enough?

SEN. RICHARD DURBIN (D), ILLINOIS: I was shocked by it.

Ashleigh, you saw it firsthand. As you mentioned, it was an EF-4 tornado. I have grown up with tornadoes. I have seen a lot of damage in communities as a congressman and senator; 175-mile-an-hour winds hit Harrisburg and Ridgway. The devastation was beyond anything I have seen from tornado damage.

Seven people lost their lives. I thought it was a sure thing that we would be declared a federal disaster declaration area, but apparently not. So I have asked the head of FEMA to come to my office tomorrow to meet with representatives of Senator Kirk's office and the rest of the delegation. We want to go through this thing in detail.

BANFIELD: Do you think that you may have suffered somewhat because of this series of storms just a day or two after the storm that devastated Harrisburg went on to be even more damaging and more deadly in the surrounding states?

DURBIN: I certainly hope not, and let me tell you why. And you can ask your meteorologist.

So far this year we have had over 300 reported tornadoes. For those who don't believe in climate change, some of my colleagues, they should take notice of the fact that that last year at this time, we had about 50. Now we have had over 300. If we're going to do this comparatively and say only the very, very, very worst are going to receive federal declaration, a lot of communities and a lot of states are going to be left in a terrible situation.

BANFIELD: Well, there is always a debate about whether climate change is the issue here or whether this is just happenstance.

But, Chad Myers, jump in here and tell me a little bit about that. As the senator talks about damage in Illinois, we saw damage in Indiana, we saw damage in Kansas, we saw damage in about six or seven states I think at last count. Why so sporadic, where was it worse, and can you shed a little light on why FEMA would come in and say one state qualifies and one doesn't?

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: You know, I don't, and I want to ask the senator as well in a second about what he thinks he needs. Does he need private funds for private people to rebuild their homes, or do we need to rebuild the infrastructure of that entire town?

But let me tell, Senator Durbin, you are going to in eight days experience another outbreak of tornadoes. This is not over. And as you said, 300 already this year. We're not into spring yet. We're finally into the early part of March. A very vigorous storm comes out of the Rocky Mountains next Monday, gets to your state Tuesday night and Wednesday.

So there is more to come. Senator, but what were the uninsured losses? That's what Director Fugate was talking about, the uninsured losses compared to the insured losses and how much he thinks the state could handle. What do you think the state can't handle?

DURBIN: Well, our state is broke.

In fact, we're in a deep deficit. We're talking about cutting Medicaid coverage for the poorest people in our state. I think that's pretty well known throughout the Midwest. So when the FEMA director says, well, the state can rely on its resources, I really want to challenge that.

But the bottom line is this. They do a calculation based on the damage that is compensable, that can be paid for by the federal government. It has to reach a certain threshold. It's based on the population of the state. I live in a highly populated state, sixth in the nation. So this community and our state may be disadvantaged because of it.

(CROSSTALK)

BANFIELD: Go ahead, Chad.

MYERS: Let me tell you, coming up in eight days from now, the populated part, the much more populated part around Chicago, will be under the gun for weather just like this.

BANFIELD: So, Senator, jump in with me. And I always want to ask whether the federal government isn't under an obligation to look at the larger picture. When doling out money, there are -- oh, I'm told we just lost the senator, unfortunately. I apologize for that.

Chad, if you're still there, maybe you can help me here.

MYERS: Yes.

BANFIELD: When it comes to the damage, when I was in Harrisburg, I have to say I drove into that town very late at night in the dark and thought I was in the wrong place because it looked fine.

It looked absolutely fine. I arrived on small pockets of absolute demolition, without question, demolition, but small pockets. My first thought was this is no Katrina and this is not what I expected.

Is that part of why FEMA would come in with this decision, saying, you had bad pictures, but it wasn't whole scale? MYERS: The entire damage length, where the homes were and where that big building was, where the strip mall was, only about mile through the town. But that's the width of the entire town. The southern half of the entire town was damaged just beyond belief.

The northern part did not even get hurt because the tornado did not hit up there. If you take a look at the town, sure, population wise, more than 50 percent were definitely affected. Seven people died in the storm. So by that town's threshold, certainly it would qualify.

But when you look at the size of the state and the number of people paying tax in that state and the people that did not get hurt in that state, the cities that did not get hit, this small fraction of one town wasn't big enough to get by FEMA's threshold to get them federal money. But we will be doling out federal money this year. This will be one violent year for tornadoes and hurricanes.

BANFIELD: And I think we might have the senator back.

Can you hear me, Senator Durbin?

DURBIN: I can hear, yes, I can.

BANFIELD: I'm so sorry we lost you for a short moment there, but I did want to ask you, doesn't the federal government have an obligation to weigh those who may be more in need against those who perhaps are not in as much need?

DURBIN: There's no question about it, and we haven't said just flat out don't even look at the numbers, reverse your ruling.

We're going to sit down and go through the numbers. You take into consideration the impact on the community. It's the physical impact, too. It's the costs to the local units of government for the overtime hours and the people that spend extra time, firefighters and rescue squads, and the hospitals and the like. All of that is calculated in.

I want a fair calculation here. And when I see the damage that you witnessed and I witnessed as well, I find it hard to believe we're not going to make the number.

BANFIELD: I think you're going to be going and doing some voting today, if I'm not mistaken; is that correct?

DURBIN: I am. As a matter of fact, I am.

BANFIELD: Senator Durbin, thanks for taking the time in between that to talk to us. And we will continue to follow the possible appeal on this case.

And, Chad, thank you, too. Appreciate your input on this one.

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