[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 76 Engrossed in House (EH)]

H. Res. 76

                In the House of Representatives, U. S.,

                                                        April 28, 2009.
Whereas, on January 4, 2009, millions of tons of earth fell onto a road in the 
        Alta Verapaz area north of Guatemala City, Guatemala;
Whereas it is suspected that a geological fault triggered the movement of earth, 
        sending 10,000,000 tons of mud and rock down a hillside onto a road that 
        runs from San Cristobal Verapaz to Chicaman, north of Guatemala City;
Whereas at least 36 people were confirmed dead and up to 60 were missing, many 
        of whom are coffee workers in the region;
Whereas rescue organizations, volunteers, and agencies from throughout Guatemala 
        had been working at the site until danger of another landslide shut down 
        the operation;
Whereas, on January 8, 2009, at 1:21PM, a 6.1 magnitude earthquake shook the 
        Capital region of San Jose, Costa Rica, including the areas of 
        Sarapiqui, Varablanca, and Poasito;
Whereas the earthquake's epicenter was 20 miles from San Jose at a depth of 21.7 
        miles and the shaking continued for 40 seconds;
Whereas 23 individuals were confirmed dead, over 100 were treated for injuries, 
        and nearly a dozen went missing, including many buried by the resulting 
        landslides;
Whereas 518 homes were destroyed to the point where they were uninhabitable, 26 
        kilometers of road were unusable, and 61 communities were affected;
Whereas roads, businesses, government buildings, and the popular tourist sites 
        at the Poas Volcano and the La Paz waterfalls were severely damaged; and
Whereas Guatemala and Costa Rica have been frequently impacted by significant 
        natural disasters, including those in the aftermath of Hurricane Stan in 
        Guatemala in 2005 that led to hundreds of deaths: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That--
            (1) the House of Representatives--
                    (A) mourns the terrible loss of life caused by the landslide 
                that occurred on January 4, 2009, in Guatemala and the 
                earthquake on January 8, 2009, in Costa Rica;
                    (B) expresses its deepest condolences to the families of the 
                many victims; and
                    (C) applauds the prompt humanitarian responses to these 
                natural disasters by the Governments of Guatemala and Costa 
                Rica; and
            (2) it is the sense of the House of Representatives that it should 
        be the policy of the United States to--
                    (A) continue technical assistance to Central American 
                governments in order to strengthen their capacity at the 
                national, provincial, and local levels in the area of disaster 
                management coordination and preparedness, including implementing 
                information and communications systems to help with the response 
                to natural disasters; and
                    (B) work closely with the governments of these countries to 
                improve disaster mitigation techniques and compliance among all 
                key sectors of their societies.
            Attest:

                                                                          Clerk.