Day of Remembrance

WHEREAS, on April 27, 2011 there were a total of 62 long track tornadoes that swept across the state of Alabama, creating a damage path that was more than 1,177 miles long and more than 20 miles wide; and

WHEREAS, in a matter of minutes, over 11,000 houses were demolished across 43 counties, leaving thousands of Alabamians without homes, generating one of the worst natural disasters to date; and

WHEREAS, two-hundred and fifty-three people were killed, and countless others were left with physical and emotional scars; and

WHEREAS, the measure of our progress can be readily seen in the tremendous recovery effort across our great state; Alabamians stepped up to help their neighbors and began rebuilding their lives and their communities; and

WHEREAS, over 9 million cubic yards of debris have been removed from tornado-stricken communities; and

WHEREAS, in the days following April 27, 2011 the Governor’s Emergency Relief Fund was established allowing monetary donations to fill in the gaps for individuals who had exhausted all other avenues of disaster relief; and

WHEREAS, Alabamians will continue to rebuild and recover from the devastation that occurred in our state one year ago; and

WHEREAS, a statewide moment of silence will be held at 4:27 p.m. to honor the memories of those who were killed, and to pay tribute to the thousands of storm survivors:

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Robert Bentley, Governor of Alabama, do hereby proclaim April 27, 2012 as a

 Day of Remembrance

in the state of Alabama, and encourage all citizens to reflect upon the memory of those we lost and the thousands who survived.

Given Under My Hand and the Great Seal of the Office of the Governor at the State Capitol in the City of Montgomery on the 27th day of April 2012.

      

Governor Robert Bentley