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[Page S3463]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Texas Storms
Madam President, on another matter, like many parts of the country,
Texas has been impacted by severe weather. Last weekend, parts of my
State were impacted by severe storms, bringing hail, rain, and winds up
to 70 miles per hour. The quick-moving storms hurled debris and caused
extensive and widespread damage. One of the most devastating scenes was
an apartment building that was sliced by a construction crane and took
a life.
In the wake of the storm, hundreds of thousands of North Texans lost
their power, and many of them are still waiting for the lights to come
back on. And if you have been in Texas during June, you know it is not
just your lights you want; you want your air-conditioning to run as
well. There is never a good time or circumstance to be without power,
but in Texas, June is far from ideal.
As many Texans keep working to get back to some sense of normalcy, I
want to express my gratitude to the first responders who have been
working tirelessly to support our communities. I have immense respect
and gratitude for those who take on these difficult and sometimes
thankless jobs. We need to tell them every chance we get that we
appreciate the work they do to protect our communities every day and
especially during times of natural disasters.
Somehow, these challenging times have a way of bringing communities
closer together and reminding us that through the hard times, we still
have a lot to be thankful for.
In the wake of these storms, I have read dozens of stories about
friends and neighbors and kindhearted strangers helping one another.
There was a man who lived in the apartment building that was struck
by the crane I mentioned a moment ago who said he spotted a neighbor
trapped inside his car in the garage, which he described as ``facing
straight down.'' He and another neighbor said ``We can't leave him like
that'' and exposed themselves to danger to pull the man through the
back window and help him escape safely.
A neighborhood in East Dallas came together to help a woman cut and
remove trees that fell over her home, saving her a lot of time and
money.
Even though the neighborhood is dealing with widespread power
outages, one person with a generator has kept a refrigerator on with
the community's groceries.
I also read about restaurant workers who helped a woman from Frisco
whose car had been hit by a falling tree. While the woman and her 3-
year-old niece were able to escape the vehicle, her friend was trapped
inside. The employees at this restaurant ran into the storm to help
lift the tree so her friend could escape. They then gave her food,
blankets, and even drove them to a nearby Target so they could find
some dry clothes.
The restaurant owner downplayed their actions saying:
I don't think we really did anything out of the ordinary
that anybody else wouldn't do. We were just being good
Samaritans.
I am grateful for the Good Samaritans across Texas who put themselves
in harm's way in order to help their neighbors. As I said earlier, in
times of tragedy or hardship, it is heartwarming to see stories like
these that remind us of how lucky we are, in Texas and across the
country, to live in supportive communities.
In closing, I want to thank the first responders, utility workers,
and newfound friends who have supported one another through these
storms. I will continue to keep the families of those killed and
injured in my prayers, and I hope power will soon be fully restored.
I yield the floor.
I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. PORTMAN. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order
for the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
