[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1376 Reported in House (RH)]






                                                 House Calendar No. 267
110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1376

                          [Report No. 110-856]

   Commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Okeechobee Hurricane of 
         September 1928 and its associated tragic loss of life.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 24, 2008

  Mr. Hastings of Florida (for himself, Mrs. Christensen, Mr. Meek of 
Florida, Mr. Wexler, Ms. Wasserman Schultz, Mr. Mahoney of Florida, Mr. 
  Klein of Florida, Mr. Putnam, and Mr. Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
                  on Transportation and Infrastructure

                           September 16, 2008

 Reported with amendments, referred to the House Calendar, and ordered 
                             to be printed
   [Strike out all after the preamble and insert the part printed in 
                                italic]
[Strike out all after the resolving clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
   Commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Okeechobee Hurricane of 
         September 1928 and its associated tragic loss of life.

<DELETED>Whereas the Okeechobee Hurricane, also known as Hurricane San Felipe 
        Segundo, formed in the Atlantic Ocean, traveled through the Caribbean 
        Sea, and up the eastern coast of the United States between September 10 
        and September 20, 1928;
Whereas on September 16, 1928, the Okeechobee Hurricane made landfall in the 
        continental United States at West Palm Beach, Florida, and proceeded 
        north over Lake Okeechobee, after which it decreased steadily in 
        intensity before dying in Ontario, Canada;
Whereas the Okeechobee Hurricane attained the highest classification of Category 
        5 for tropical cyclone intensity on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale, 
        with winds exceeding 160 miles per hour;
Whereas the Okeechobee Hurricane is officially recognized by the National 
        Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as the second deadliest hurricane 
        on record in United States history, exacting the tragic loss of more 
        than 4,000 lives in the United States, Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and 
        the Bahamas;
Whereas approximately 75 percent of fatalities from the Okeechobee Hurricane in 
        the United States were migrant farm workers, the vast majority of which 
        were African-American;
Whereas the extensive impact of the Okeechobee Hurricane on African-American 
        migrant workers in southern and central Florida was memorialized in the 
        famous 1937 literary work of Zora Neale Hurston, Their Eyes Were 
        Watching God;
Whereas the Okeechobee Hurricane exacted horrendous damage valued at over 
        $16,000,000,000, adjusted for inflation, to the infrastructure and towns 
        of western Palm Beach County alone;
Whereas many of those killed by the Okeechobee Hurricane in southern Florida 
        were buried in segregated mass graves, such as the more than 670 
        African-American victims in a mass grave in West Palm Beach;
Whereas the Herbert Hoover Dike's system surrounding Lake Okeechobee consists of 
        143 miles of levee with 19 culverts, hurricane gates, and other water 
        control structures that provide flood and storm damage reduction and 
        other water control benefits;
Whereas on November 2, 2007, the Army Corps of Engineers Dam Safety Action 
        Classification External Peer Review Panel designated the Herbert Hoover 
        Dike with Class I designation of ``urgent and compelling,'' the highest 
        risk category;
Whereas a breach of the Herbert Hoover Dike or similarly designated structures 
        throughout the Nation could potentially cause the catastrophic loss of 
        life and poses grave economic and environmental consequences to the 
        surrounding communities;
Whereas given the ongoing potential of the Herbert Hoover Dike or other 
        similarly designated structures to fail in the event of a major storm or 
        hurricane, priority must be given to fully fund and expedite 
        rehabilitation of such structures; and
Whereas economically disadvantaged and migrant communities are at increased risk 
        for extensive damage and loss of life associated with natural disasters: 
        Now, therefore, be it
</DELETED>Whereas the Okeechobee Hurricane, also known as Hurricane San Felipe 
        Segundo, formed in the Atlantic Ocean, traveled through the Caribbean 
        Sea, and up the eastern coast of the United States between September 10 
        and September 20, 1928;
Whereas on September 16, 1928, the Okeechobee Hurricane made landfall in the 
        continental United States at Palm Beach County, Florida, and proceeded 
        north over Lake Okeechobee, after which it decreased steadily in 
        intensity before dying in Ontario, Canada;
Whereas the Okeechobee Hurricane attained the highest classification of Category 
        5 for tropical cyclone intensity on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale, 
        with winds exceeding 160 miles per hour;
Whereas the Okeechobee Hurricane is officially recognized by the National 
        Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as the second deadliest hurricane 
        on record in United States history, exacting the tragic loss of 
        approximately 3,000 lives in the United States and its territories;
Whereas approximately 75 percent of fatalities from the Okeechobee Hurricane in 
        the United States were migrant farm workers, the vast majority of which 
        were African-American;
Whereas the extensive impact of the Okeechobee Hurricane on African-American 
        migrant workers in southern and central Florida was memorialized in the 
        famous 1937 literary work of Zora Neale Hurston, Their Eyes Were 
        Watching God;
Whereas the Okeechobee Hurricane exacted horrendous damage valued at over 
        $16,000,000,000, adjusted for inflation, to the infrastructure and towns 
        of western Palm Beach County alone;
Whereas many of those killed by the Okeechobee Hurricane in southern Florida 
        were buried in segregated mass graves, such as the more than 670 
        African-American victims in a mass grave in West Palm Beach;
Whereas the Nation and the State of Florida have taken steps to respond to the 
        Okeechobee Hurricane and other storm events with the construction of 
        storm damage reduction projects to mitigate the loss of life and 
        property;
Whereas the Herbert Hoover Dike's system surrounding Lake Okeechobee consists of 
        143 miles of levee with 19 culverts, hurricane gates, and other water 
        control structures that provide flood and storm damage reduction and 
        other water control benefits;
Whereas on November 2, 2007, the Army Corps of Engineers Dam Safety Action 
        Classification External Peer Review Panel designated the Herbert Hoover 
        Dike with Class I designation of ``urgent and compelling,'' the highest 
        risk category;
Whereas a breach of the Herbert Hoover Dike or similarly designated structures 
        throughout the Nation could potentially cause catastrophic loss of life 
        and poses grave economic and environmental consequences to the 
        surrounding communities; and
Whereas economically disadvantaged and migrant communities are at increased risk 
        for extensive damage and loss of life associated with natural disasters: 
        Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved,  <DELETED>That the House of Representatives--
        <DELETED>    (1) memorializes the tragic loss of more than 
        4,000 lives in the United States and its territories due to the 
        Okeechobee Hurricane of 1928;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) recognizes the enduring importance of 
        hurricane preparedness measures, enhanced evacuation, emergency 
        plans, and disaster response training in economically 
        disadvantaged communities to prevent a disproportionate impact 
        of natural disasters and disparities in disaster 
        response;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) recognizes the role of relevant Federal 
        agencies, research institutes, universities, and disaster 
        response organizations in providing intensity forecasting, 
        long-range projections of hurricane activity, emergency 
        management, and hurricane and storm mitigation to better 
        prepare for, respond to, and mitigate the extensive loss of 
        life and devastating impacts of hurricanes and 
        storms;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) fully supports initiatives to enhance our 
        understanding of mitigation impacts on physical structures, 
        including water management systems and other infrastructures 
        that may be vulnerable to withstand the most intense of 
        storms;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (5) urges the Federal Government and State and 
        local governments to--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) commemorate and memorialize the 80th 
                anniversary of Okeechobee Hurricane of 1928 and its 
                associated tragic loss of more than 4,000 lives in the 
                United States and its territories;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) appropriately recognize mass graves of 
                the victims of the Okeechobee Hurricane;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) take appropriate actions to quickly 
                repair and rehabilitate dikes, water management 
                systems, and other infrastructure in hurricane-prone 
                regions designated by the Army Corps of Engineers with 
                Class I ``urgent and compelling'' 
                vulnerability;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (D) take appropriate actions to encourage 
                hurricane and disaster preparedness, education, 
                response, and mitigation; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (E) support programs and initiatives which 
                promote disaster preparedness, education, response, and 
                mitigation in economically disadvantaged and migrant 
                communities; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (6) recommits itself to hurricane preparedness, 
        safety education, response, and mitigation for all communities 
        in the 110th Congress.</DELETED>
    That the House of Representatives--
            (1) memorializes the tragic loss of approximately 3,000 
        lives in the United States and its territories due to the 
        Okeechobee Hurricane of 1928;
            (2) recognizes the enduring importance of hurricane 
        preparedness measures, enhanced evacuation, emergency plans, 
        and disaster response training especially in economically 
        disadvantaged communities to prevent a disproportionate impact 
        of natural disasters and disparities in disaster response;
            (3) recognizes the role of relevant Federal agencies, 
        research institutes, universities, and disaster response 
        organizations in providing intensity forecasting, long-range 
        projections of hurricane activity, emergency management, and 
        hurricane and storm damage reduction to better prepare for, 
        respond to, and mitigate the extensive loss of life and 
        devastating impacts of hurricanes and storms;
            (4) fully supports initiatives to enhance our understanding 
        of storm impacts on physical structures, including water 
        management systems and other infrastructure that may be 
        vulnerable to the most intense of storms;
            (5) urges the State of Florida and local governments to--
                    (A) commemorate and memorialize the 80th 
                anniversary of the Okeechobee Hurricane of 1928 and its 
                associated tragic loss of approximately 3,000 lives in 
                the United States and its territories; and
                    (B) appropriately recognize mass graves of the 
                victims of the Okeechobee Hurricane;
            (6) urges the Federal government, and State and local 
        governments, to--
                    (A) take appropriate actions to encourage hurricane 
                and disaster preparedness, education, response, and 
                mitigation; and
                    (B) support programs and initiatives that promote 
                disaster preparedness, education, response, and 
                mitigation especially in economically disadvantaged and 
                migrant communities;
            (7) commends the Army Corps of Engineers for its ongoing 
        rehabilitation of the Herbert Hoover Dike and encourages 
        continued collaboration among Federal, State, and local 
        governments toward expeditious completion of the rehabilitation 
        effort; and
            (8) recommits itself to hurricane preparedness, safety 
        education, response, and mitigation for all communities in the 
        110th Congress.
                                                 House Calendar No. 267

110th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                              H. RES. 1376

                          [Report No. 110-856]

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

   Commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Okeechobee Hurricane of 
         September 1928 and its associated tragic loss of life.

_______________________________________________________________________

                           September 17, 2008

 Reported with amendments, referred to the House Calendar, and ordered 
                             to be printed