Minority Leader pays deep care to violent storms

First Name: Derek
Current Event Posting Number: 2
Topic: Leader
Title of article: McConnell Keeping ‘Close Eye’ on Storms in Kentucky and the Midwest
Author: Sunlen Miller
Publication Name: abc News
Date of Publication: March 1, 2012
Length of article: 1 page


Few days ago, the rash tornados and storms ravaged the Midwest and South, killing at least 12 people in three states. According to reports of scientists, the twister that blasted Harrisburg, Southern Illinois, was an EF4, the second-highest rating based on damage. Researchers said it was 200 yards wide with winds up to 170 mph. NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma, an arm of the National Weather Service (NWS), informed that at least 16 tornadoes moved from Nebraska and Kansas to southern Missouri, up to Illinois and over to Kentucky. Over 300 reports of severe weather in the last 36 hours included golf-ball-size hail and damaging thunderstorm winds gusting over 80 mph. Mitch McConnell, the senator from Kentucky and minority leader, continues to monitor his home state and others under affection of the recent natural disasters. Cities in the path of violent storms included Branson, Mo., which was severely struck on Wednesday, to Memphis, St. Louis, Indianapolis, Nashville, Jackson, Miss., Atlanta, Cincinnati and Raleigh. McConnell assures on the Senate floor this morning that he will make sure the victims have everything they need to clean up, rebuild and reclaim their dignity from the wreckage of this tragedy. The NWS warned that the severe weather threat isn’t over. Meteorologist Ryan Jewell predicts the next system is forecast to take a path similar to Wednesday's and has the potential to inflict even more damage on Friday. 


McConnell will join his colleagues from the affected states in keeping in his thoughts today of all those affected by these storms, especially the families of those lost. The Senator intends to extend gratitude to the first responders in Kentucky and across the entire Midwest who have risen to the occasion. He hopes to provide the much-needed with response and relief.