Hurricane Relief Efforts

HURRICANE RELIEF EFFORTS -- (House of Representatives - November 07, 2005)

The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mrs. Drake). Under a previous order of the House, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. McCaul) is recognized for 5 minutes.

Mr. McCAUL of Texas. Madam Speaker, the people in the gulf coast States have always lived with the threat of devastating tropical weather, including hurricanes. In fact, the worst natural disaster to ever befall America was the Galveston hurricane of 1900.

To this day, I personally know many families who lost loved ones in this horrific hurricane some 105 years ago. In fact, my grandfather, who was only 8 years old at the time, barely survived the devastation, while some 10,000 perished trying to overcome the high waters.

My grandfather was heroically saved by rescuers who found him clinging to a tree in the flooded streets of Galveston. Sadly, it seems that history and nature have a way of repeating themselves.

Like in the Galveston hurricane of 1900, the streets of New Orleans were flooded to the tops of trees and homes by Hurricane Katrina, and people relied on the goodwill of others to survive that devastation. To that end, my home State of Texas has done an outstanding job in the Katrina relief effort, persevering in the face of Hurricane Rita, which made landfall on the Texas coast 1 month after Hurricane Katrina.

It goes without saying that our hearts and prayers are with those who are fighting for their lives and their communities and the areas hit by these hurricanes. Despite their dire situation, I know how brave and capable the people are in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. They will overcome the damage and fully recover. They will rebuild and return home as they were meant to, but they will need our help and support.

Before Hurricane Rita hit, I visited the Katrina relief efforts in my district, and Vice President Cheney and I met with the Texas Emergency Management Agency. They used computer models to demonstrate the effects of a hurricane similar to Katrina hitting the Texas coast. The images revealed that Galveston Island could be completely submerged and the streets of Houston flooded if a strong hurricane were to hit that region.

At the time, we could not have known that this similar scenario would play itself out in Texas in just a matter of days. Fortunately, Galveston and the greater Houston area were saved; and unlike Galveston a hundred years ago, there was no direct loss of life due to Hurricane Rita. This is due to the efforts of the real heroes of the State and local first responders who protected life before the storm struck.

To that end I would like to thank everyone who has stepped forward and helped the hurricane victims by donating, volunteering, and working together to overcome this tragedy, especially Texas Governor Rick Perry; Austin Mayor Will Wynn; Houston Mayor Bill White; Katy Mayor Doyle Callendar; Tomball Mayor, Hap Harrington; Harris County Judge Robert Eckels; Ann Hodge and the Katy Chamber of Commerce; Bruce Hillegeist and the Tomball Chamber of Commerce; Tomball Fire Department Chief Randy Parr; and the Interfaith Ministries of Greater Houston. Their leadership, persevering through sheer tragedy, has been invaluable to the response and recovery process from both storms.

This cooperation partnership, brotherhood, community and faith, all succeeding in the face of absolute disaster, is truly an example of the resilience of the American spirit.

If nothing, this can teach us that if we plan ahead and work together, we can save lives and overcome the worst of nature's fury. This common bond is our duty as friends, as neighbors, and as Americans.

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