Bill Clinton: “Good morning. Although Hillary and I are in Chile, far from home today, our thoughts and prayers are with the people of…”

“Good morning. Although Hillary and I are in Chile, far from home today, our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Tennessee, Kentucky, and Arkansas, who have suffered the latest in a series of tornadoes that swept through the South with ferocious force. Yesterday I spoke with the Vice President, who was in his home State of Tennessee to see the damage, comfort the victims, and reassure the people of Tennessee that we're standing ready to help them in this time of crisis. It's often been said that when disaster strikes, the things that divide us fall away as neighbor helps neighbor and stranger reaches out to stranger. We saw this just a year ago tomorrow in Grand Forks, North Dakota, when flood and fire nearly destroyed the entire city but could not destroy the spirit of its residents or stop its newspaper, the Grand Forks Herald, which just this week was awarded the Pulitzer Price for public service. We saw it again this winter in New England, when ice storms isolated entire communities but couldn't keep people apart. And we saw it in Florida and Georgia, Alabama and Arkansas, as tornadoes have torn towns to pieces but have not taken away people's hope. These natural disasters have tested our faith, and tragically, they have taken many lives. But they've also reminded us of the enduring power of the American people to overcome calamity and the commitment of our national community to help people rebuild their communities.…”