[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 148 (Wednesday, September 17, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8929-S8931]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            STORM DISASTERS

  Ms. LANDRIEU. I see several other colleagues are here on the floor to 
speak, maybe on this subject or another, so I will say I will reserve 
for myself another 5 minutes and be finished with my remarks.
  I was speaking about the hurricane damage throughout really the 
southern part of the United States. I do not have the figures from 
Florida or from Mississippi or Alabama, but we are turning in our 
figures from Louisiana. Again, I remind my colleagues and the Nation, 
Fay hit the gulf coast; it hit Florida but devastated parts of the gulf 
coast and many interior parts of the southeastern part of the United 
States, with heavy rains and flooding on August 18. Then we had 
Hurricane Gustav on September 1, which slammed into Louisiana and did a 
tremendous amount of wind damage to parishes such as Point Coupee and 
Rapides and Avoyelles Parish--parishes about which you don't hear very 
much because they are not coastal parishes, but the wind damage

[[Page S8930]]

was very substantial, all the way up to the northern parts of 
Louisiana. Much like Katrina, it affected the northern parts of 
Mississippi, although it was a great flooding event down South. These 
storms are getting very big and very powerful. Then, of course, 
Hurricane Ike hitting again the Texas coast, right into Galveston, 
right up the Houston Ship Channel, doing terrible devastation to our 
friends in Texas. But again the flooding was substantial along the 
coastal States.
  Let me just put up this chart you have seen before. These are the 
pipelines that support America's energy coast. This is Louisiana's 
coast. This is Mississippi's coast. This is the Mobile Bay and, of 
course, the panhandle of Florida. This is the Texas coast. These two 
storms, Gustav and Ike, hit right here in this region, in the center 
part of America's energy coast, and wreaked havoc in terms of flooding 
and wind damage. Again, that has gone up through Louisiana and to other 
parts of the coastal States.
  This is just another example from Lake Charles of the water damage in 
communities tucked well in from the coast. This is wind damage in that 
same area that can show you some of the wind damage our people are 
experiencing.
  Because my time is short, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in 
the Record a letter from the Governor of Louisiana outlining some of 
our priorities.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                                               State of Louisiana,


                                       Office of the Governor,

                                  Baton Rouge, September 13, 2008.
     Hon. Nancy Pelosi,
     Speaker of the House, U.S. Capitol
     Washington, DC.
     Hon. John Boehner,
     House Minority Leader, U.S. Capitol,
     Washington, DC.
     Hon. Harry Reid,
     Senate Majority Leader, U.S. Capitol,
     Washington, DC.
     Hon. Mitch McConnell
     Senate Minority Leader, U.S. Capitol,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Speaker Pelosi, Leader Reid, Leader Boehner, and 
     Leader McConnell: For nearly two weeks, hundreds of thousands 
     of Louisiana residents have been without power, clean water, 
     and other necessities. Millions of Louisianians were forced 
     to evacuate their homes before Hurricane Gustav struck, and 
     many have still been unable to return. The stress placed on 
     communities, from a lack of electricity hampering people's 
     ability to work and provide for their family, to being split 
     up from loved ones, to a variety of other difficulties, has 
     been enormous.
       The economic impact has also been significant. With various 
     bills to increase our domestic energy production under 
     consideration, we strongly urge you to consider additional 
     measures to ensure the resiliency of the nation's top 
     producer of safe, secure domestic energy. Louisiana produces 
     22.2 percent of domestic crude oil and 10.5 percent of 
     natural gas in the United States. As evidenced in recent 
     spikes in fuel prices, our nation is vulnerable to disruption 
     to Louisiana's energy production. In addition to energy 
     production, an estimated 25 percent of North America's 
     seafood is produced off of Louisiana's coasts. These 
     industries along with other essential Louisiana economic 
     drivers were critically impaired due to the destruction 
     caused by Hurricane Gustav.
       On September 1, 2008, Hurricane Gustav made landfall on 
     Louisiana's coast with strong 110 mph winds following a 
     northwest path into central Louisiana, causing widespread 
     physical damage, power outages, and/or flooding across the 
     vast majority of parishes in Louisiana. The storm caused a 
     power outage that left two-thirds of the state's commercial 
     and residential facilities without electricity. Estimates 
     suggest Hurricane Gustav's economic losses total $7-15 
     billion including $4.5-10 billion in total property damage 
     and $2.5-5.0 billion in lost economic activity. Thousands of 
     employees were displaced and roughly 97,000 employers in 
     Louisiana (80 percent of total employers in the state) 
     suffered business interruption economic losses. Many of these 
     are small businesses still struggling to recover from 
     Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Louisiana, still recovering from 
     the 2005 hurricanes and facing further damages from Hurricane 
     Ike, requests assistance in upcoming stimulus legislation or 
     other legislative vehicles in Congress.


    1. Designate 100% Federal Cost Share on all FEMA Categories of 
                               Assistance

       The state has requested a 100% federal cost share on 
     Individual Assistance to include Other Needs Assistance (ONA) 
     and all other individual assistance programs, and Public 
     Assistance categories A through G, to include Direct Federal 
     Assistance. As you may recall, Congress provided for this 
     assistance for Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Many communities 
     impacted by these storms are still recovering and do not have 
     a restored tax base, and thus need this relief. In addition, 
     we would like to work with you to evaluate FEMA regulatory 
     policies that improve evacuation and reentry assistance. The 
     threat of Gustav forced the evacuation of nearly two million 
     Louisiana residents. The State was forced to evacuate 30,000 
     critical transportation-need residents, including 10,400 
     medical evacuations, which is the largest medical evacuation 
     in U.S. history. The state was also left with 1.5 million 
     cubic yards of debris from Hurricane Gustav along federal and 
     state highways.


            2. infrastructure Repair and Coastal Restoration

       Coastal Louisiana is home to 1.2 million people and helps 
     provide nearly 30 percent of the energy consumed in the 
     United States. Hurricane Gustav interrupted access to these 
     energy resources and infrastructure. Additionally, these 
     storms caused significant damage to the communities in this 
     coastal region and miles of coastal lands and wetlands. The 
     state is requesting funding to repair and improve protection 
     to the 100-year standard in south Louisiana. This would 
     include the resources necessary to complete federally-
     authorized work in the Greater New Orleans area, Lafourche, 
     Terrebonne, and to expedite delayed protection improvements 
     in St. Mary parish and studies for southwest Louisiana. In 
     addition, we request funds for the construction of federally-
     authorized coastal restoration projects designed to restore 
     coastal lands lost as a result of hurricanes. It is critical 
     that we provide comprehensive flood and hurricane protection, 
     including both coastal restoration and levee protection, for 
     Louisiana's entire coast.
       Preliminary cost estimates for the repair of FHWA-eligible 
     roads and bridges sustained as a result of Hurricane Gustav 
     total $160 million. Federal-aid highway damage estimates 
     exceed $125 million. While funding to address these damages 
     is authorized under current law, the backlog associated with 
     these needs may prevent the restoration or threaten the 
     integrity of this critical infrastructure. A Presidential 
     waiver of the $100 million limit on FHWA Emergency Relief 
     funding is requested along with a special appropriation from 
     the General Fund to the FHWA Emergency Relief program for 
     Louisiana and other states facing disaster-related damages. 
     Further, Congress should provide emergency funds to the Corps 
     of Engineers for dredging the critical navigation channels 
     that were impacted by the hurricane. The Mississippi River, 
     Atchafalaya River, Calcasieu Ship Channel and other critical 
     waterways are vital to the country's energy supply and 
     maritime commerce affecting nearly every state.
       While the majority of public infrastructure repairs will be 
     covered by FEMA programs, it is known from experience with 
     the 2005 storms that there will be certain costs of repair 
     deemed ineligible for FEMA funding. The state requests $100 
     million in Community Development Block Grants to develop a 
     fund to cover the full repair of key infrastructure and 
     public facilities.


            3. Agriculture and Fisheries Disaster Assistance

       Louisiana is one of the top domestic producers of sugarcane 
     within the United States, and second in both rice production 
     and international rice exports. Hurricane Gustav crippled all 
     segments of agriculture throughout Louisiana. Many Louisiana 
     producers sustained uninsured losses and will not be eligible 
     for Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payments as currently 
     structured. The hurricane has also caused catastrophic 
     flooding and widespread wind damage for the state's cattle 
     industry, which is still recovering from losing over 20,000 
     cattle from the 2005 storms. In addition, Louisiana's seafood 
     industry accounts for more than 25 percent of the catch in 
     the nation. Funds are needed to help offset the loss of this 
     product, increased production costs and damage to storage and 
     fishing facilities.


                          4. Economic Recovery

       Hurricane Gustav severely impacted our state's overall 
     economy and many small businesses through widespread physical 
     damage, power outages, and/or short-term population 
     displacement across the vast majority of the state. Based on 
     preliminary estimates, Hurricane Gustav's economic impact 
     totals $7-15 billion. Moreover, many small businesses wounded 
     by Hurricane Gustav had not yet recovered from damage 
     previously inflicted by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005.
       The state proposes implementing a comprehensive business 
     recovery plan that addresses immediate and near-term working 
     capital needs and accelerates economic development during the 
     recovery period and beyond. Suggested recovery options 
     include: business recovery bridge loans, an extension of 
     existing GO Zone bonus depreciation deadlines, an additional 
     allocation of Gulf Opportunity Zone bonds targeted at 
     parishes impacted by Gustav, and technical assistance for 
     impacted small businesses. Similar assistance was provided 
     after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita to help small businesses 
     and their employees et back on their feet.


                5. Emergency Preparedness and Readiness

       Every critical disaster demonstrates gaps in the existing 
     system of preparedness, and identifies areas of critical 
     needs to improve the response to future storms. Local 
     governments have prioritized (1) prisoner transportation and 
     evacuation planning, (2) watercraft accessibility, (3) 
     enhanced fixed

[[Page S8931]]

     and mobile generator support, and (4) communications as 
     critical elements to enhancing disaster preparedness. In 
     addition, the state is requesting $100 million for law 
     enforcement equipment and infrastructure repairs that will 
     support both preparedness and recovery functions. Similar 
     assistance was provided after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.


         6. Healthcare and Social Services Disaster Assistance

       The Louisiana Hospital Association estimates that the total 
     financial and operational impact of Hurricane Gustav on 
     Louisiana's hospitals is as much as $302 million. The 
     hospitals, many of which were still struggling with post-
     Katrina and Rita losses, have sustained reported losses of 
     net revenue, and have incurred costs for incremental salary 
     and labor, sheltering and evacuation, facility damage and 
     debris removal, and other non-ordinary costs attributable to 
     the storm. An adjustment of the Medicare Wage Index to 
     address the higher cost of providing services after 2005 and 
     2008 hurricanes would provide significant relief and allow 
     these institutions to continue administering critical medical 
     services.
       Additionally, the hospitals are requesting funding for 
     hazard mitigation and remediation for hardening of facilities 
     and upgrading of generator capabilities. It became apparent 
     during the event that many hospitals could not maintain 
     optimally safe environments with the current capacity of 
     their generator systems. We are also deeply concerned about 
     the lack of generator capacity in our state's nursing homes. 
     Finally, the State of Louisiana is requesting $50 million in 
     SSBG funding to provide for mental health treatment, primary 
     care medical services, and repair of damaged foster homes.
       These priorities are among the many challenges still facing 
     our state as we recover from Hurricane Gustav and do not 
     represent an exhaustive list of recovery needs, especially as 
     we still assess damages caused by Hurricane Ike. It is with 
     great hope for the future of the people of Louisiana that we 
     request this assistance and also request that it be included 
     in the upcoming stimulus legislation or any other legislative 
     spending vehicle. Lieutenant Governor Mitch Landrieu and 
     Commissioner of Agriculture Mike Strain will be in Washington 
     to discuss these important recovery needs with you and your 
     staff.
           Sincerely,
     Governor Bobby Jindal,
       State of Louisiana.
     Lt. Governor Mitch Landrieu,
       State of Louisiana.
     Commissioner of Agriculture Mike Strain,
       State of Louisiana.

  Ms. LANDRIEU. I have a number of the press accounts, and I will just 
read for the Record the headlines that are pouring into my office each 
day from newspapers around the State. This one:

       Ike badly damages Rita-ruined region. Hurricane Ike's 
     receding storm waters on Monday revealed a footprint of 
     damage across coastal southwest Louisiana too similar and too 
     soon after Hurricane Rita of 2005.
       Storm report: Vermilion Parish sees tough road ahead.

  Again, a Parish hard hit just 3 years ago.

       Cameron Parish: ``Still too much water.''

  These headlines are streaming into my office.

       St. Mary Parish: Cypremort Point residents digging out of 
     mud.
       Barataria to pick up pieces.
       St. John, St. Charles dig out, clean up.
       16,000 people at Blackham Coliseum--
  waiting for help and assistance.
       Gustav, Ike set record for power outages in Louisiana.

  Finally, as my time draws near:

       Storm update: Gustav's damage to Louisiana crops estimated 
     at hundreds of millions of dollars.

  I wish to say on behalf of my friend from Texas, we have some 
headlines we received in Louisiana about Galveston and about the 
billions in storm damage to our neighbors in Texas, because we have a 
situation that I hope our Congress will respond to before we leave 
here, some agricultural damage and storm damage for the Gulf Coast 
States, and also to reach back and pick up some of that damage we did 
not address in the Midwest floods.
  I thank my colleagues for their understanding. I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Connecticut.

                          ____________________