Blake Farenthold: “It is an honor and a privilege to be here. A little over a year ago, there were some horrible floods just outside the…”

“It is an honor and a privilege to be here. A little over a year ago, there were some horrible floods just outside the district I represent in Wimberley, Texas, that took the lives of several constituents vacationing there in Corpus Christi, Texas. In fact, some of the bodies of the young children who perished in that horrible flood have yet to be recovered. My family's prayers and the prayers of the Nation go to those grieving families and the survivors and for the repose of the souls of those who passed. There has been a lot of flooding in Texas over the past year or so, just as recently as last week. I represent Wharton, Texas. The river in Wharton rose just as it had gotten repairs from the previous flood a few months earlier. All the Sheetrock was newly installed and ready to go; and sure enough, another flood comes and the damage to the property continues. Unfortunately, the floods of last week and the previous weeks did not result in loss of life in the district that I represent. Thank the Lord for that. I tell you, in the past 14 months, another county I represent, Bastrop, has experienced the worst flooding it has seen in 35 years. It is currently dealing with $2.5 million in damaged infrastructure, and 20 roads still remain closed today. Of the 100-plus homes damaged in the past 14 months, more than half were determined to be unlivable, and four families still remain in temporary housing.…”