Kent Conrad: “I would like to speak for one moment about the disaster supplemental bill. It is fair to say that my State has been…”

“I would like to speak for one moment about the disaster supplemental bill. It is fair to say that my State has been absolutely devastated by this extraordinary set of occurrences. First of all, the greatest snowfall in our State's history--over 10 feet of snow--followed in early April by the most severe winter storm in 50 years. Nearly 2 feet of snow fell in that one blizzard, accompanied by 70-mile-an-hour winds and an ice storm that brought down the electrical grid serving 80,000 people. That was followed by what we are now told was not the 500-year flood but the 1,000-year flood. That was coupled in Grand Forks with a fire that destroyed nearly three city blocks and was only contained because of the heroic efforts of the fire department in Grand Forks. Mr. President, we have not had in this country a circumstance in which a town of the size of the city of Grand Forks with more than 50,000 people having been evacuated on a mandatory basis. Those people are not able to return to their homes for perhaps as long as a month. This is a disaster of truly staggering proportion and dimension. Those people need help, and they need it now.”