On April 5-6, 1936 a series of tornadoes ripped across the southern United States. Gainesville, Georgia was the hardest hit, with property damage in the millions and a death toll that eventually passed 200 people.

Remarks of Franklin Delano Roosevelt
President of The United States of America
Gainesville, Georgia
April 9, 1936

My friends: It is a sad occasion that brings this stop of mine in Gainesville. I have been in touch very closely with this great disaster that has come to your city, ever since the tornado.

We in the Federal Government have done everything that is in our power to make things more easy for you.

I want to express to you, all of you, my very deep sympathy in the great loss of life that has occurred here. And I particularly want to extend my sympathy to the families who have lost their loved ones.

This particular storm, as you know, has affected a number of states and many communities. I have just had a conference in the car with the leaders -- the heads of the various agencies who have been trying to be of assistance, and there are two things, I think, that stand out for which we can be very proud as Americans. The first is that all of the agencies of all kinds have cooperated not only sincerely but with very practical results. The other thing I want to refer to is the fine spirit that all of you people in Gainesville have shown -- the way you have cooperated to bring order out of great chaos and the way you have determined to rebuild along better and finer lines than every before. It makes me very proud of you as Americans.

And so, my friends, I hope to come back some day, at a less tragic time, and when I come back to be able to see a greater and better Gainesville. I shall always be very proud of the spirit you have shown.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Related links:
Gainesville Tornado, April 6, 1936
Hall County Archives
The nights the lights went out in Georgia--Tornadoes strike the northern Atlanta suburbs on April 9, 1998.
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