Bennie Thompson: “Last Friday night, a lot of Mississippi was damaged by a very serious tornado. Over 20 lives were lost. To paint a…”

“Last Friday night, a lot of Mississippi was damaged by a very serious tornado. Over 20 lives were lost. To paint a picture, these are communities that under the best of times struggle, communities where we don't have public transportation, where there is not a single motel room in the entire county, and where the downtown area no longer exists. For the people of Rolling Fork, Silver City, Black Hawk, and a lot of other Mississippi communities that are only a ZIP Code tied to some other people, we are saddened by that destruction. Importantly, President Biden approved record disaster approval within 2 days because destruction was clear as to the help that was needed. The State of Mississippi and the locals involved in it, we are resilient people, but we can't do it by ourselves. Our national support system has kicked into place. Churches have stepped forward. We look forward to the long-term recovery, and we are talking about years, not months, before those communities will be made whole again. I thank all of you who have expressed your concern and sympathy and those of you who invested in the communities. I can assure you it is much appreciated.”