Supporting National Hurricane Preparedness Week

Floor Speech

SUPPORTING NATIONAL HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS WEEK -- (House of Representatives - May 12, 2009)

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Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Madam Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, before I talk about this issue, I would like to thank Chairman Gordon, once again, and also Ranking Member Hall and also their staffs for allowing this timely resolution to move forward so quickly. As the chairman has just said, the time is right for this resolution once again.

I rise today in support of House Resolution 387, which is to support the goals and ideals of National Hurricane Preparedness Week as established by the National Hurricane Center. Hurricane Preparedness Week begins on the 24th of May and lasts through the 30th of May of 2009. Now, in less than 2 weeks, Madam Speaker, on the 1st of June, unfortunately, we mark the beginning of yet another hurricane season in the Atlantic and central Pacific Oceans. Hurricane season lasts a long, long 6 months until November 30.

The goal of Hurricane Preparedness Week is to inform the public about hurricanes, their hazards, and to provide knowledge that, frankly, we can use and that hopefully all of us can use to take action now, to be ready now before the hurricanes hit. We must be ready. This information can be used to save property and, most importantly, it can be used to save lives. As the chairman himself said, we have too often seen what these storms can do.

Now, although the Federal Government plays a critical role before and after a storm, we have to do our part. We have to be ready ourselves. And it is the hope that the residents, particularly in areas that are hurricane prone, will prepare themselves and their families for this before this hurricane season starts.

History teaches us that a lack of hurricane awareness and preparation are, unfortunately, common threads among all hurricanes and major disasters. For instance, one of the biggest lessons learned from the recent wave of hurricanes is that the residents need to have enough supplies to take care of themselves and their families for at least 3 days after one of these storms makes landfall. Oftentimes, local governments are trying to keep order. They are trying to take care of really basic essentials right after a storm, so, therefore, it is important that each and every one of us have a plan, that we prepare and that we can be self-sufficient for those 3 days. Again, millions of Americans face great risk from tropical storms and hurricanes. More than 50 percent of all Americans live along the coast, which again just shows you how grave that risk can be.

Now, the statistics associated with hurricanes are staggering. An average of 11 tropical storms develop each year over the Atlantic Ocean or the Caribbean or the Gulf of Mexico. Six of these storms will, unfortunately, become hurricanes. Now, look, we just hope that they don't make landfall, and they can just slide by, and we can just kiss them goodbye. But we can't be sure that will happen, so we have to be ready.

Last year, unfortunately, several storms made landfall along the eastern and gulf coast, including Tropical Storm Fay, Hurricanes Gustav, Hanna and Ike. And as we have learned in the past few years, hurricanes pose, again, a serious, serious threat to our country. These massive storms can result in casualties and millions of dollars or, frankly, billions of dollars in economic damage and destruction.

During a hurricane, homes and businesses and other buildings can be damaged by heavy rain, by strong winds and by storm surge, which is one of the worst problems and a real killer. Tornadoes can strike after these storms or during the storms, and oftentimes power can be wiped out for days, if not weeks.

Experts at the NOAA's National Hurricane Center agree that there are some critical things that have to be done. Obviously, first, is to determine if you live in a hurricane-prone area, then know your home's vulnerabilities to either storm surge or flooding or wind and develop a written, a real family disaster plan based on this knowledge. And make sure that everybody in the family knows how to make that plan work and knows about it.

Once you determine, again, how vulnerable you really are to a hurricane, the National Hurricane Center recommends that people in hurricane-prone areas assemble a disaster supply kit before the hurricane season, not before a storm comes, but now before the hurricane season is even upon us; a first aid kit and essential medications, nonperishable food items such as canned goods, at least 3 gallons of water per person per day, again for at least 3 to 7 days, at least 3 days, preferably more; obviously, a battery-powered radio, a flashlight, extra batteries, special items including medications if you need them for infants, for the elderly or for disabled family members, and also making sure that you take care of pets, as well.

As we have learned in south Florida, the forecasters, the meteorologists and the hurricane specialists at National Hurricane Center who become, frankly, every year, heroes to all of us who are in hurricane-prone areas are often the source of the most valuable information on hurricane preparedness. They spend countless hours and days providing valuable information and warnings to all those Americans located in a potential path of a hurricane. Millions of Americans have come to rely on their steady advice and counsel, on their skill, and we thank them for their vital services.

Madam Speaker, I urge all Americans living in hurricane-prone areas to use this Hurricane Preparedness Week as an opportunity to learn more about the approaching hurricane season, to prepare before--before, I repeat--a storm threatens.

Once again, I need to thank the chairman for allowing this resolution to come here quickly, timely. It is important, and I want to thank him for his cooperation, as well as the ranking member and both staffs.

And with that, I do not think I have another speaker. I yield back the remaining part of my time.

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