I know I speak for all Americans when I say to the families who lost so much, our thoughts and prayers are with you. Today I'll be flying to Oklahoma City to get a first-hand view of the destruction. This is a duty I've performed many times in the aftermath of many natural disasters. The one thing I've learned is that the images we see on television can never fully convey the level of sheer destruction or the depth of human grief caused by these disasters. Yet, I've also learned that the worst of nature can bring out the best in people.
Natural disasters create many victims, but bring forth many heroes.
And on these occasions the national government must act quickly, effectively, compassionately. When I became President, I vowed that the federal government would do a better job of helping communities respond to the ravages of nature, and it has. As part of Vice President Gore's Reinventing Government effort, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, under the direction of James Lee Witt, has gone from being much criticized to becoming a model of disaster relief, now recognized all around the world for its speed, skill and dedication. Officials from FEMA and other federal agencies are already on the ground in communities hit by this week's tornados, healing wounds, searching for missing persons, providing shelter, clearing debris, restoring power and water, issuing emergency expense checks. But more must be done.