What Members of Congress Are Saying About the Derecho

By Michael Catalini // July 2, 2012 | 4:30 p.m.

A deadly derecho downed trees and severed powerlines from the Midwest to the Mid-Atlantic over the weekend, and members of Congress took to social media to talk to their constituents.

(RELATED: Washington Recovers After the Storm)

The D.C. suburbs of Maryland and Virginia were among the hardest hit. Of the Old Dominion's 11 representatives, five have commented on Twitter. They are: Majority Leader Eric Cantor, Democrat Gerry Connolly, Republican Bob Goodlatte, Republican Robert Hurt and Democrat Jim Moran. Sen. Mark Warner, a Democrat, also commented. Sen. Jim Webb is not on Twitter. Of Maryland's eight representatives Minority Whip Steny Hoyer was the only House member to comment via Twitter (Elijah Cummings is not on Twitter). Democratic Sen. Barbara Mikulski commented, and Sen. Ben Cardin retweeted information from the Baltimore Sun about cooling centers.

Here's a look at what members were tweeting:

Cantor, whose district includes a swatch of Virginia from Culpeper to around Richmond, retweeted a utility company's advice.

Need a place to go while we work restoration, call 211 for info about cooling shelters. ow.ly/bVWuH
-- Dominion VA Power (@DomVAPower) June 30, 2012

Hoyer, whose district includes parts of Prince George's and Anne Arundel counties, tweeted a handful of times about the storm, including updates from the Maryland Emergency Management Agency.

Cooling centers are open throughout MD-5. Click here to find one near you & follow @MDMEMA for updates: mema.state.md.us/newsroom/post/... #MDStorm
-- Steny Hoyer (@WhipHoyer) July 1, 2012

Mikulski endorsed a good-neighbor policy.

.@MDMEMA good source for tips & safety info. Stay cool, keep away from downed wires & check in on neighbors.
-- Barbara Mikulski (@SenatorBarb) June 30, 2012

Republican Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio, who is widely mentioned as a possible running mate for Mitt Romney, gave specific advice about aid for storm victims.