On the recordJune 15, 2011
I rise today to express my support for Senator Shelby's recently introduced bill, the Southeastern Disaster Tax Relief Act, of which I am an original cosponsor. As an Oklahoma native, I have seen and experienced just how devastating severe weather can be. Since 1950, there have been approximately 3,300 tornadoes that have killed nearly 500 people in Oklahoma alone. Scores more have been injured. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, tornadoes cause $1.1 billion of damage on average per year, and this does not account for the unquantifiable cost of the loss of a loved one, a home, or a business. You may recall the F5 tornado that swept through Oklahoma on May 3, 1999. This storm alone caused $1.9 billion in damages, killed 48 people, and destroyed the town of Moore, OK. Survivors of this storm described being trapped under the debris of their homes, the panicked rescue effort to find neighbors, and the overwhelming sadness accompanied by loss. When I visited Tushka, OK, on April 15 of this year, following its devastating storms, I witnessed firsthand the same type of devastation. It is estimated that the damage caused by tornadoes in Oklahoma on May 24 of this year will cost between $200 and $300 million. In addition, the storms in Joplin, MO, may have caused an additional $3 billion in losses.…
