Dick Durbin: “last week on Thursday, the evil forces of nature struck in Fairdale, IL. Since that moment of terrible loss--two lives…”

“last week on Thursday, the evil forces of nature struck in Fairdale, IL. Since that moment of terrible loss--two lives and many injuries, terrible property destruction--we have seen the better angels of our nature come forward. This is an all-too-common picture in my part of the world in central Illinois and downstate Illinois. This is the devastation from a tornado of dramatic power and strength. Two twisters--one of them a category EF-4, with wind speeds of up to 200 miles an hour--tore through DeKalb and Ogle Counties and badly damaged the towns of Fairdale and Rochelle last Thursday evening. That picture tells part of the story of the tornadoes' path, where giant trees were uprooted, homes ripped from their foundations. The damage is stunning. Sadly, two women, neighbors who lived in Fairdale, lost their lives in the event. Geraldine Schultz and a close friend and neighbor, Jacklyn Klosa, both fell victim to the tornado that struck their homes. Neighbors say the two friends were inseparable in life and both departed life at the same moment. The tight-knit communities of Fairdale and Rochelle are pulling together today to help victims sort through the rubble. One tornado tracked a 25-mile continuous path from near Rochelle through Fairdale, to near Belvidere. This is a photo of what was, until Thursday, a popular restaurant in the town of Rochelle, IL, about 80 miles from Chicago.…”