Read the following excerpt from a speech:
i know we are suffering now under the economic downturn. this depression wasn't the fault of ordinary citizens, but they are the ones suffering. i hear stories every day about families who have lost jobs. their lives are incredibly difficult right now. and it was all due to the choices of wealthy bankers whose carelessness ripped through people's savings like tornadoes, leaving everyone else to sort through the wreckage.
what impact is the speaker's use of simile most likely meant to have on the audience?

a.
it is meant to strike fear in the audience about the economic downturn's long-lasting effects.

b.
it is meant to leave the audience with an optimistic feeling about the economy.

c.
it is meant to shift blame for the economic downturn away from members of the audience.

d.
it is meant to evoke the audience's sympathy for citizens who have suffered from the downturn.