William Tauzin: “before I begin tonight, I want to call to the Nation's attention the fact that there are quite a few folks in my home…”

“before I begin tonight, I want to call to the Nation's attention the fact that there are quite a few folks in my home State of Louisiana who are indeed suffering tonight. Yesterday and up until about 1 o'clock this morning we were deluged with about 18 inches of rain in the New Orleans area. That is 18 inches in 1 day for those of you who live in States that may only get as much as 4 inches a year. The 18 inches of rainfall has inundated communities all over my district and the districts adjacent to mine, that of Bill Jefferson and Bob Livingston and others out West, and we have situations ongoing right now of tragedy, tornadoes and homes destroyed. People have drowned in their cars as they were trying to get to and from their work and residences. I just spoke to my mother in Chackbay, and God bless her, she is an awfully wonderful and devout woman, and I think her prayers saved her. I understand a tornado just hopped over our house and just missed her, and I wanted to say a word of thanks to the Good Lord for sparing her and others tonight, and a word of comfort and consolation for families who have losses and who are grieved in this awful flood that is unfortunately still unfolding in many communities in south Louisiana.”