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2012 SESSION


HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 323
Commending the agencies, companies, organizations, individuals, and governments that assisted the residents of Washington County in the aftermath of four tornadoes on April 27 and 28, 2011.

 

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 10, 2012
Agreed to by the Senate, February 16, 2012

 

WHEREAS, during the night of April 27 and the early morning hours of April 28, 2011, four tornadoes touched down in the Reedy Creek, Abingdon, Green Cove, and Glade Spring areas of Washington County; and

WHEREAS, the first tornado, an EF0, struck the Reedy Creek area, leaving a path of destruction a half-mile long and 50 yards wide while the second tornado, an EF1, struck Abingdon seven minutes later and left a path four miles long and 100 yards wide; and

WHEREAS, the third tornado, also an EF1, struck in Green Cove a little less than two hours later with a path a half-mile long and 200 yards wide; one hour later, an EF3 struck Glade Spring with wind speeds up to 140 miles per hour that left a 25-mile long, three-quarters of a mile-wide path of destruction; and

WHEREAS, four individuals lost their lives, with dozens more injured, as the tornadoes left residents without food, shelter, or water; businesses, farmland and machinery, and more than 400 homes damaged or destroyed; and $42 million in damage; and

WHEREAS, every fire and emergency medical services agency in Washington County responded, with hundreds of agencies, departments, and organizations and thousands of individuals from across the county, state, and country providing much needed volunteer assistance; and

WHEREAS, the Washington County Long Term Recovery Group, a partnership between local governments and community service organizations and several individuals, was formed to help those affected by the tornadoes recover and will remain a permanent task force to ensure Washington County remains prepared if another natural disaster occurs; and

WHEREAS, Consul General Jeffrey Wang, the Director of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office of the Government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) in the United States, announced a generous $20,000 donation to aide in the cleanup efforts while another Taiwanese community in the Commonwealth contributed $600; and

WHEREAS, the collective efforts of dedicated and determined people and organizations responding to the aftermath of the tornadoes and the tremendous efforts of the Director of Emergency Management for Washington County, Pokey Harris, were instrumental in helping the residents of Washington County begin to rebuild their lives and deal with the impact of the unprecedented natural disaster; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend the agencies, companies, organizations, individuals, and governments that assisted the residents of Washington County in the aftermath of four tornadoes on April 27 and 28, 2011.