[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1583 Engrossed in House (EH)]

H. Res. 1583

                In the House of Representatives, U. S.,

                                                    September 15, 2010.
Whereas on September 24, 2005, Hurricane Rita made landfall as a Category 3 
        hurricane just east of the Texas-Louisiana border, between Sabine Pass 
        and Johnson's Bayou, with wind speeds of 120 miles per hour, and further 
        devastated the Gulf Coast;
Whereas Hurricane Rita caused 7 deaths, forced 3,000,000 residents to evacuate 
        their homes, left 1,000,000 people without electricity (according to the 
        National Climatic Data Center), and caused flooding and tornadoes in the 
        States of Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Alabama;
Whereas damages from Hurricane Rita are estimated at $11,300,000,000;
Whereas in 2005, Hurricane Rita was the second hurricane to reach Category 5 
        status in the Gulf of Mexico, making it only the third time that more 
        than one Category 5 storm had formed in the Atlantic in the same year 
        (according to the National Climatic Data Center);
Whereas the storm surge from Hurricane Rita was as high as 15 feet near the 
        landfall site and according to the United States Geological Survey 
        traveled as far as 50 miles inland, causing disastrous flooding and 
        massive loss of property;
Whereas tens of thousands of homes and businesses in Louisiana and Texas were 
        destroyed by the flooding; and
Whereas the United States Geological Survey's National Wetlands Center indicates 
        that 217 square miles of Louisiana's coastal lands were transformed to 
        water after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) observes the fifth anniversary of the date on which Hurricane 
        Rita devastated the coasts of Louisiana and Texas;
            (2) expresses its support to the survivors of Hurricane Rita and 
        condolences to the families of its victims;
            (3) commends the courageous efforts of those who assisted in the 
        response to the storm and the recovery process;
            (4) recognizes the contributions of the communities in Louisiana and 
        Texas to the United States; and
            (5) reaffirms its commitment to rebuild, renew, and restore the Gulf 
        Coast region.
            Attest:

                                                                          Clerk.