Trent Lott: “the way the American people responded to the loss and suffering wrought by Hurricane Katrina was probably unprecedented…”

“the way the American people responded to the loss and suffering wrought by Hurricane Katrina was probably unprecedented and surely unforgettable. We in Mississippi, and our neighbors elsewhere along the gulf coast, will always remember the aid, the labor, the rescues, the prayers--everything our fellow citizens did to bring us through that terrible ordeal. I wish it were possible to acknowledge every individual who came to assist us when we most needed them, but that honor roll is far too long for the Congressional Record. Moreover, their names, I am sure, are inscribed in a more important book, and their lasting reward will be much greater than our praise. I do want to take note of one particular group of volunteers from the State of North Carolina. On short notice, on September 2, 2005, more than 90 health care professionals left their homes and their jobs to come to Hancock County, where Katrina had left the towns of Waveland and Bay St. Louis in ruins. Because Hancock Regional Hospital was flooded, the Carolina volunteers created a field hospital that operated for 2 months and cared for more than 7,000 patients. During that time, more than 400 doctors, nurses, paramedics, and other health care professionals rotated through the facility, caring for local residents until Hancock Regional Hospital could again admit patients. These men and women selflessly served the people of Mississippi during one of the worst disasters ever to confront our country.…”