[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 163 (Wednesday, November 17, 1999)]
[House]
[Page H12114]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            HURRICANE LENNY

  (Mrs. CHRISTENSEN asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, as we meet this morning, my district, 
the U.S. Virgin Islands, is awaiting a direct hit in the unexpected and 
unpredictable Hurricane Lenny, now a category 4 storm with 135 mile per 
hour winds.
  The major storm winds will first hit St. Croix at around 12 p.m. 
Atlantic Standard Time, and is expected to have a direct impact on the 
Hess Oil refinery, the largest in this hemisphere which is based on St. 
Croix. It has closed and is taking the necessary precautions to prevent 
major damages, as is the nearby alumina plant.
  While the Virgin Islands has been declared one of the most prepared 
districts under FEMA's project Impact preparedness program, we are 
still asking for our colleagues' prayers at this time, especially the 
neighborhood surrounding these two plants.
  Mr. Speaker, too often, the fate of the U.S. Virgin Islands are 
overshadowed during hurricane coverage, but we have been affected to 
some measure by most major storms in recent years. We ask everyone to 
keep us in their thoughts and prayers during this time, and we ask in 
advance for support for our recovery and for our ongoing efforts to 
address the ongoing financial crisis which makes this hurricane an even 
more serious threat to us.

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