The Texas Flood – Our Thoughts, Prayers, and Lessons for the Future

This is Representative Mark Cooper of Windham with the Weekly Republican Address.

Our hearts go out to the people of Texas as they recover from the devastating floods that have swept through communities, taken lives, and left countless families grieving and displaced. To all those directly or indirectly affected by this terrible tragedy—know that you are in our thoughts and prayers.

We especially lift up the families who lost loved ones, and we stand with the survivors as they begin the long road to recovery. Tragedies like this remind us how quickly life can change and how important it is to come together as a nation in support and compassion.

Here in Maine, we are fortunate to have the Maine Emergency Management Agency—or MEMA—working behind the scenes to prepare for and respond to disasters. MEMA coordinates emergency response efforts across state, local, and federal agencies to keep Mainers safe when severe weather strikes.

We hope MEMA will carefully study what happened in Texas, what went right, and what went wrong, so that Maine can be even better prepared for future weather-related disasters, from floods to ice storms and hurricanes.

If you’re looking to help, please consider donating to reputable organizations like the American Red Cross, Team Rubicon, or Samaritan’s Purse, which are already on the ground helping Texas families. The Office of Texas Governor Greg Abbott also has some ways you can help.

But please be careful, sadly, scammers often try to take advantage during times like this. Stick with well-known, established charities and avoid unfamiliar links or urgent-sounding appeals.

From all of us in the Maine House Republican Caucus: stay safe, stay prepared, and let’s keep the people of Texas in our prayers.

This has been Representative Mark Cooper with the Weekly Republican Address.

Thank you for listening.

Representative Mark Cooper is serving his first term as the Representative for District 107, which includes part of Windham. A lifelong resident of Windham, Mark is the owner-operator of L.C. Cooper, Inc. Building Contractor, Cooper’s Royal Heritage Farm, and Cooper’s Maple Products. His farm produces beef cattle, maple syrup, greenhouse products, miniature horses, and honey bees. Mark graduated from Windham High School and the University of New Hampshire, earning an Associate’s Degree in Animal Science. He serves as the Director and Superintendent of the Cumberland Farmers Club-Fair and is a Director of the Maine Maple Producers Association. Mark is an active member of several organizations, including the Maine Farm Bureau, Maine Maple Producers Association, Cumberland Fair, Maine State Beekeepers Association, and the American Aberdeen Association. He is married to his wife, Gaylene, and they have two children and two grandchildren. Mark’s favorite activity is spending time with his grandchildren.