[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 121 (Thursday, September 16, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Page S11018]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   HURRICANE DAMAGE IN NORTH CAROLINA

  Mr. EDWARDS. Mr. President, I want to speak for a moment today about 
the hurricane and report to my colleagues on what we have learned about 
the damage Hurricane Floyd has done in North Carolina.
  As most folks know, North Carolina, unfortunately, has borne the 
brunt of hurricanes over the last few years. I think this is the fifth 
major hurricane to hit North Carolina since 1996. What we know thus far 
is that four people have died in traffic-related accidents as a result 
of the hurricane.
  First, of course, our thoughts and prayers go to the families of 
those folks who have lost loved ones. Secondly, we have had enormous 
flooding. That flooding will continue, and there will be some period of 
time before that flooding recedes. Wilmington has received over 18 
inches of rain in the last approximately 48 hours, and other areas of 
eastern North Carolina have received enormous amounts of rain during 
the same period of time.
  We have also had enormous problems with crop damage and injury and 
damage to our farms, particularly in eastern North Carolina. These 
farmers are already struggling and suffering and having a difficult 
time making ends meet. Now they have received a blow, which may very 
well be a death blow, to the crops they still have in the fields. As I 
said, these are people who are already teetering on the edge. Now these 
farmers and their families must deal with the damage that Hurricane 
Floyd has caused their farms.
  We have also had roads washed out in eastern North Carolina. We know 
we have power outages all over eastern North Carolina, and we have and 
will continue to have enormous problems with increased erosion as a 
result of this hurricane hitting the coast of North Carolina.
  Let me say, first, that I have been in regular contact with Governor 
Jim Hunt, the Governor of North Carolina, since this hurricane began to 
approach the southeastern coast of the United States in order to help 
prepare for what we knew was inevitable--that this would do great 
damage for our State. In addition, I have been in constant contact with 
mayors from eastern North Carolina whose counties have been hit the 
hardest by this hurricane. Yesterday afternoon, I spent some time at 
the FEMA headquarters with James Lee Witt looking at the FEMA 
operation--looking at what they were doing to prepare for the onslaught 
of this hurricane and their preparations for going in after the 
hurricane and dealing with destruction created by the hurricane.
  I have to say, first of all, it was an incredibly impressive 
operation. James Lee Witt has done an extraordinary job of turning FEMA 
around. They are well prepared and well organized. I strongly suspect 
they will respond quickly and efficiently to the destruction this 
particular storm creates.
  In addition to that, I talked to the Secretary of Transportation, Mr. 
Slater, about the problems with roads and roads being washed out, 
keeping in mind that North Carolina has just recently been hit with 
Hurricane Dennis, which washed out Highway 12 up on the Outer Banks of 
North Carolina, and now it has been hit again by a larger, more serious 
hurricane. We are going to have enormous problems with our roads in 
eastern North Carolina.
  I have also spoken with Secretary Glickman, Secretary of Agriculture, 
because of our concern for the farmers in North Carolina. The tobacco 
farmers and the farmers of all kinds in eastern North Carolina are 
going to suffer enormous crop damage as a result of the devastation 
created by this hurricane.
  As I mentioned earlier, these are folks who are already struggling, 
already suffering, and already under enormous financial stress. And now 
here comes Hurricane Floyd putting what for many of them, I am afraid, 
will be the final nail in the coffin. These folks are going to need our 
help.
  The bottom line is that while this hurricane has now moved out of 
North Carolina, it has created enormous damage. I think the devastation 
will be extraordinary once we have had a chance to go in and assess 
exactly what the damage has been.
  As we go through the process of passing these various appropriations 
bills that the Senate is working very diligently on, I have asked my 
colleagues to keep in mind that the people of North Carolina, including 
the farmers of North Carolina, are desperately going to need help. They 
need help quickly, and they need that help getting to them in time to 
respond to the devastation that Hurricane Floyd has created.
  I ask my colleagues in the Senate to keep that in mind. We will be in 
regular touch with the folks involved in appropriations in order to 
make them aware of the specific problems that we have in North 
Carolina.
  I also add that this injury and this damage is not limited to North 
Carolina. I am absolutely certain there is damage in Florida, Georgia, 
and South Carolina. As the storm moves north through Virginia and 
Maryland, I anticipate there will also be damage in those States.
  I ask my colleagues not only from those States but all of my 
colleagues in the Senate to be prepared to respond and respond quickly 
to a devastating blow that has been dealt to my State of North Carolina 
and to the surrounding States that have been hit by Hurricane Floyd.
  Finally, I would like to say just a word about the people of North 
Carolina and their response to this hurricane.

  The people of North Carolina, fortunately, are very experienced in 
dealing with hurricanes. They have been hit time and time again. I have 
to say we have gotten way more than our fair share of hurricanes and 
hurricane damage. The response of folks in eastern North Carolina has 
been heroic. It was absolutely extraordinary to watch their discipline 
and preparation when they saw the storm coming, their organized and 
coordinated effort to evacuate the coast when those evacuations were 
necessary, and their preparation for what they knew was inevitable, 
which was that Hurricane Floyd was going to come through eastern North 
Carolina and wreak havoc and devastation.
  I am so proud of the people of North Carolina who have responded so 
heroically and in such a well-organized way to what they knew was 
coming, and I expect that response will continue over the next weeks 
and months as we begin the efforts of cleaning up the devastation that 
has been created by Hurricane Floyd.
  Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Delaware.
  Mr. ROTH. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent for 20 minutes as in 
morning business.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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