[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 784 Engrossed in House (EH)]


                 In the House of Representatives, U.S.,

                                                    September 28, 2004.
Whereas on August 13, 2004, Hurricane Charley reached landfall and blasted the 
        southwest region of the State of Florida with 145 mile per hour winds 
        and 10-foot storm surges;
Whereas on September 4, 2004, Hurricane Frances reached landfall and battered 
        the east coast and central region of Florida with 105 mile per hour 
        winds and up to 17 inches of rain;
Whereas on September 16, 2004, Hurricane Ivan reached landfall and devastated 
        the panhandle region of Florida with 130 mile per hour winds and 
        estimated 16-foot storm surges;
Whereas on September 26, 2004, Hurricane Jeanne reached landfall and struck the 
        east coast of Florida with 120 mile per hour winds;
Whereas in Florida, 27 people lost their lives due to Hurricane Charley, 30 
        people lost their lives from the devastation caused by Hurricane 
        Frances, 21 people lost their lives from the destruction of Hurricane 
        Ivan, and 6 people lost their lives as a result of Hurricane Jeanne;
Whereas tens of thousands of homes and businesses were damaged or destroyed by 
        the four hurricanes;
Whereas insured property losses from Hurricane Charley are estimated at almost 
        $7,000,000,000, losses from Hurricane Frances are estimated at up to 
        $4,000,000,000, and losses from Hurricane Ivan are estimated at up to 
        $10,000,000,000;
Whereas more than 20,000 farms were in the path of Hurricane Frances, resulting 
        in more than $2,000,000,000 in damage to the Florida agriculture 
        community;
Whereas the travel and tourism industry in Florida faces billions of dollars in 
        lost revenue;
Whereas power outages caused by the hurricanes have affected more than 6,000,000 
        people;
Whereas Florida Governor Jeb Bush took immediate action by declaring a major 
        disaster for the entire State of Florida and deploying necessary 
        resources to deal with this crisis;
Whereas the Florida Division of Emergency Management officials did an 
        outstanding job coordinating efforts among Federal, State, and local 
        entities;
Whereas Michael D. Brown, Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Emergency 
        Preparedness and Response, responded quickly to each of the disasters;
Whereas the Federal Emergency Management Agency has more than 2,700 agency 
        workers helping with recovery efforts;
Whereas State, local, and municipal elected officials in Florida diligently 
        voiced the concerns and needs of their respective communities;
Whereas State and local police officers, firefighters, and first responders went 
        above and beyond the call of duty in responding to the four hurricanes;
Whereas Florida Emergency Operations Center personnel worked tirelessly to 
        direct relief efforts;
Whereas the National Guard was quick to mobilize more than 4,100 troops to help 
        in the relief effort;
Whereas doctors, nurses, and medical personnel worked expeditiously to ensure 
        that hospitals and medical centers continued providing necessary care to 
        their communities;
Whereas the American Red Cross and other volunteer organizations and charities 
        are supplying hurricane victims with food, water, and shelter;
Whereas utility companies have worked around-the-clock shifts to restore 
        electric, phone, cable, and water service to damaged areas;
Whereas the Army Corps of Engineers has worked to reinforce thousands of homes 
        with roof damage;
Whereas the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration did an extraordinary 
        job providing accurate forecasts of these four devastating storms; and
Whereas thousands of volunteers from across the country have donated their time 
        and resources to help with recovery efforts: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives commends the resiliency of the 
people of the State of Florida and the work of those individuals who have 
assisted with the recovery efforts after the devastation caused by Hurricanes 
Charley, Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne.
            Attest:

                                                                          Clerk.