Bob Dole: “so many States have been devastated this hurricane season. My own home State of North Carolina has been ravaged by the…”

“so many States have been devastated this hurricane season. My own home State of North Carolina has been ravaged by the effects of not one, but four hurricanes in the last few weeks. Most recently, western North Carolina suffered extensive damage caused by the torrential wind and rain of Hurricane Ivan. Initial estimates from the storm's destruction in Buncombe County alone are already topping $100 million. Sadly, this same county had already projected that exact amount in damages following Hurricane Frances. Counties in western North Carolina had barely begun to recover from the flooding of Frances before Ivan roared through town late last week. The death toll from the storm, so far, is 10 people. In the town of Henderson, a man and his wife were sleeping soundly when a huge tree crashed through their house into their bedroom. The husband was pinned beneath the fallen tree, which ultimately took his life as the home had to be stabilized before the tree could be removed. In the Peeks Creek community in southern Macon County, a landslide sent homes crashing against each other, killing at least four people, including an unborn child whose mother was forced to have a leg amputated and remains in critical condition. Houses have literally been washed away, and some left standing have been split in two by fallen trees. Main roads and neighborhood streets have been shut down from landslides and pavements giving way.”