[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 123 (Tuesday, September 21, 1999)]
[House]
[Pages H8446-H8447]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            HURRICANE FLOYD

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from North Carolina (Mrs. Clayton) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mrs. CLAYTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from North 
Carolina (Mr. Price).
  Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, there are heart-rending 
tales. We spoke with many, many people in Tarboro who have gone through 
things no one should ever have to endure in losing their homes, losing 
their possessions, and, in some cases, losing the lives of family 
members.
  But it is also at the same time inspiring to see the way people are 
working together and to see the spirit and the spunk. Also, I think we 
should pay tribute here, I think we all feel this, to the cooperative 
effort that governmental agencies are making.
  Our governor, Jim Hunt, has been tireless in his work. Our Secretary 
of Crime Control and Public Safety, Richard Moore, has been on the 
scene. State agencies, local law enforcement, the National Guard, and 
the Federal Government is holding up its end of the bargain.
  I must say the work of the Small Business Administration and FEMA. 
James Lee Witt was with us there yesterday, and he is working with us 
at this moment on how we can craft a disaster assistance package.
  So we are very grateful for what has already happened, but we are 
going to have to be in this for the long haul.
  Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, if the gentlewoman from North Carolina 
will yield just a moment on that point, not only are we getting 
tremendous help, but I think FEMA has done an outstanding job. I would 
echo that. James Lee Witt has been outstanding. All of our agencies at 
every level. But a lot of our individuals have come forth to do so 
much.
  I was in Rocky Mount, a district that the gentlewoman from North 
Carolina

[[Page H8447]]

(Mrs. Clayton) and I share. Thirty of the public service people in 
Rocky Mount were out helping others. They had no home to go home to. 
They were out helping.
  Same thing was true in Tarboro yesterday. Two business people, Bob 
Barnhill who owns a construction company, and Steve Woodsworth, who has 
another business, they were there providing food and shelter and 
helping seniors, moving them out in Tarboro out of the Arbermal 
building when their homes had water in them. But they were there 
helping.
  People of North Carolina have responded, but we still have a long way 
to go before we are through this. As the gentlewoman said, people are 
in shelters, are going to be there for several more days before they 
can even go to temporary quarters.
  Mrs. CLAYTON. Mr. Speaker, let me just read a couple of statements 
that I have, because the pictures reflect that.
  In the driving wind and rain last Thursday morning, Mr. Ben Mayo 
attempted to save his family. Concerned by the rapid rise of the river, 
he ushered his family of four out of bed and loaded them into a small 
boat. Reaching out to his neighbors, he also loaded eight of them into 
the same small boat. The boat capsized. Six of the persons from the 
boat were able to reach higher ground.
  But Mr. Ben Mayo, his wife, his daughter, and granddaughter, Teshika 
Vines, were swept away by the raging waters.
  I had a picture of her because the picture came in our local paper, 
right, on her horse.
  Mr. Mayo's body was later found stuck in a drain pipe. But little 
Teshika, shown here on a pony, has yet to be found.
  The water, an element that we all rely upon to preserve life took a 
life away.
  In North Carolina, we are facing the worst natural disaster in the 
history of our State.
  But like all of my colleagues have said, this traumatic and 
devastating story is replaying itself over and over. But conversely to 
that, people's generosity, if there is anything redemptive about this 
taking of life and this disaster, it is the generosity of people coming 
together, the governments working together to make that.
  We want to convey that we in North Carolina want to join with our 
colleagues in Maryland or New Jersey or New York who also were 
devastated by this, and that we do need to craft a bill that would be 
responsive in a comprehensive way so that we can not only take care of 
the disaster in terms of the housing and the business but also the 
health needs that are just so traumatic.
  We do not even begin to understand what it means to have more than a 
million chickens in the water, more than 100,000 hogs, horse farms, 
goat farms, all of these. I was in Wilson and the Department of Health 
director warning people about the water, but also warning people about 
the rodents and the snakes, the mosquitos that we will have happen and 
the disease.
  So we are in for a long haul. What we want to commend people for is 
their generosity, but we also want to encourage their patience, because 
it will take patience with people working together. We want to push our 
governments to be as responsive as possible. But we know we cannot 
restore them as quickly. So temporary housing is needed.
  Mr. Speaker, in the driving wind and rain last Thursday morning, Mr. 
Ben Mayo attempted to save his family. Concerned by the rapid rise of 
the river, he ushered his family of four out of bed and loaded them 
into a small boat.
  Reaching out to his neighbors, he also loaded eight of them into that 
same small boat. The boat capsized. Six of the persons from the boat 
were able to reach higher ground. But, Ben Mayo, his wife, his daughter 
and granddaughter, Teshika Vines, were swept away by the raging waters.
  Mr. Mayo's body was later found, stuck in a drainpipe. Little 
Teshika, shown here on a pony, has yet to be found.
  The water, an element that we all rely upon to preserve life, took 
her life away. In North Carolina we are facing the worst natural 
disaster in the history of our state.
  The winds and water of Hurricane Floyd hit land some days ago, and 
have left a swath of death and destruction and despair, unprecedented 
in North Carolina history. Towns have become rivers, and rivers have 
become towns. Thirty-six are known dead. Many more are unaccounted for, 
still missing.
  A State of Emergency has been declared in 26 counties, and the 
President has issued a disaster declaration for 60 counties. The Tar, 
Neuse, Cape Fear and Lumber Rivers are all above the flood stage.
  Thousands of homes remain underwater. Evacuation orders were issued 
in seven counties. More than 300 roads, in 43 counties are closed, and 
that's down from the original 500 that were closed.
  Power remains out in nearly 50,000 households, down from the 1.5 
million who were initially without electricity. Water and sewer systems 
are in disrepair. Shelters are housing thousands of citizens.
  One hundred thousand hogs have been lost, 2.4 million chickens and 
500,000 turkeys. Disease and contamination is a real and dangerous 
threat as animal carcasses clutter the roads.
  Coffins, dredged up by the flooding, have been seen floating in 
Goldsboro and Wilson. According to the Charlotte Observer, Floyd is the 
worst flood in North Carolina, in 500 years.
  Rivers have become towns. Towns have become rivers. Yet, among all of 
this tragedy, there are bright spots.
  The President has released another $528 million to FEMA, to address 
immediate needs. And, we appreciate the efforts of FEMA to provide 
``Meals Ready to Eat,'' Ice, blankets, water and emergency generators.
  We also appreciate the hundreds of individuals, on the ground, who 
are helping out. The Red Cross has opened 49 shelters. The Salvation 
Army has 31 mobile kitchens. Yet, much more help and support will be 
needed.
  That is why, Mr. Speaker, I intend to join with Members of Congress 
from other impacted states to try to send a legislative package for 
further relief to the President for signing.
  As part of that package, we need to update the law so that farmers 
can be treated on equal footing with other families and businesses. We 
will also need more resources, and that will also be a part of the 
legislative package.
  The people of North Carolina are resilient, and we will bounce back 
from this situation. But, we will need the help of all Americans.
  The winds will go, the rain will go, the rivers will crest, the 
clean-up will begin and the restoration will take place. The spirit of 
North Carolina will return, Mr. Speaker, with your help and the help of 
our colleagues.

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