[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 152 (Wednesday, September 24, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H9367-H9369]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   COMMEMORATING THE 80TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE OKEECHOBEE HURRICANE OF 
                             SEPTEMBER 1928

  Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1376) commemorating the 80th 
anniversary of the Okeechobee Hurricane of September 1928 and its 
associated tragic loss of life, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 1376

       Whereas the Okeechobee Hurricane, also known as Hurricane 
     San Felipe Segundo, formed in the Atlantic Ocean, traveled 
     through the Caribbean Sea, and up the eastern coast of the 
     United States between September 10 and September 20, 1928;
       Whereas on September 16, 1928, the Okeechobee Hurricane 
     made landfall in the continental United States at Palm Beach 
     County, Florida, and proceeded north over Lake Okeechobee, 
     after which it decreased steadily in intensity before dying 
     in Ontario, Canada;
       Whereas the Okeechobee Hurricane attained the highest 
     classification of Category 5 for tropical cyclone intensity 
     on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale, with winds exceeding 
     160 miles per hour;
       Whereas the Okeechobee Hurricane is officially recognized 
     by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as the 
     second deadliest hurricane on record in United States 
     history, exacting the tragic loss of approximately 3,000 
     lives in the United States and its territories;
       Whereas approximately 75 percent of fatalities from the 
     Okeechobee Hurricane in the United States were migrant farm 
     workers, the vast majority of which were African-American;
       Whereas the extensive impact of the Okeechobee Hurricane on 
     African-American migrant workers in southern and central 
     Florida was memorialized in the famous 1937 literary work of 
     Zora Neale Hurston, Their Eyes Were Watching God;
       Whereas the Okeechobee Hurricane exacted horrendous damage 
     valued at over $16,000,000,000, adjusted for inflation, to 
     the infrastructure and towns of western Palm Beach County 
     alone;
       Whereas many of those killed by the Okeechobee Hurricane in 
     southern Florida were buried in segregated mass graves, such 
     as the more than 670 African-American victims in a mass grave 
     in West Palm Beach;
       Whereas the Nation and the State of Florida have taken 
     steps to respond to the Okeechobee Hurricane and other storm 
     events with the construction of storm damage reduction 
     projects to mitigate the loss of life and property;
       Whereas the Herbert Hoover Dike's system surrounding Lake 
     Okeechobee consists of 143 miles of levee with 19 culverts, 
     hurricane gates, and other water control structures that 
     provide flood and storm damage reduction and other water 
     control benefits;
       Whereas on November 2, 2007, the Army Corps of Engineers 
     Dam Safety Action Classification External Peer Review Panel 
     designated the Herbert Hoover Dike with Class I designation 
     of ``urgent and compelling,'' the highest risk category;
       Whereas a breach of the Herbert Hoover Dike or similarly 
     designated structures throughout the Nation could potentially 
     cause catastrophic loss of life and poses grave economic and 
     environmental consequences to the surrounding communities; 
     and
       Whereas economically disadvantaged and migrant communities 
     are at increased risk for extensive damage and loss of life 
     associated with natural disasters: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, 
       That the House of Representatives--
       (1) memorializes the tragic loss of approximately 3,000 
     lives in the United States and its territories due to the 
     Okeechobee Hurricane of 1928;
       (2) recognizes the enduring importance of hurricane 
     preparedness measures, enhanced evacuation, emergency plans, 
     and disaster response training especially in economically 
     disadvantaged communities to prevent a disproportionate 
     impact of natural disasters and disparities in disaster 
     response;
       (3) recognizes the role of relevant Federal agencies, 
     research institutes, universities, and disaster response 
     organizations in providing intensity forecasting, long-range 
     projections of hurricane activity, emergency management, and 
     hurricane and storm damage reduction to better prepare for, 
     respond to, and mitigate the extensive loss of life and 
     devastating impacts of hurricanes and storms;
       (4) fully supports initiatives to enhance our understanding 
     of storm impacts on physical structures, including water 
     management systems and other infrastructure that may be 
     vulnerable to the most intense of storms;
       (5) urges the State of Florida and local governments to--
       (A) commemorate and memorialize the 80th anniversary of the 
     Okeechobee Hurricane of 1928 and its associated tragic loss 
     of approximately 3,000 lives in the United States and its 
     territories; and
       (B) appropriately recognize mass graves of the victims of 
     the Okeechobee Hurricane;
       (6) urges the Federal government, and State and local 
     governments, to--
       (A) take appropriate actions to encourage hurricane and 
     disaster preparedness, education, response, and mitigation; 
     and
       (B) support programs and initiatives that promote disaster 
     preparedness, education, response, and mitigation especially 
     in economically disadvantaged and migrant communities;
       (7) commends the Army Corps of Engineers for its ongoing 
     rehabilitation of the Herbert Hoover Dike and encourages 
     continued collaboration among Federal, State, and local 
     governments toward expeditious completion of the 
     rehabilitation effort; and
       (8) recommits itself to hurricane preparedness, safety 
     education, response, and mitigation for all communities in 
     the 110th Congress.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Maryland (Ms. Edwards) and the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Boozman) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Maryland.


                             General Leave

  Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 
all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and 
extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H. Res. 
1376.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Maryland?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Hastings).
  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. I thank my good friend and new Member, in 
one sense of the word, from Maryland for yielding time to me.
  I also want to thank the chairwoman and ranking Republican of the 
Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency 
Management, Representative Eleanor Holmes Norton and Sam Graves. And I 
thank Chairman Oberstar for his continuing leadership as well.
  Mr. Speaker, I was pleased to have introduced this resolution with 
many

[[Page H9368]]

of my colleagues from Florida. All of them, as well as the majority 
leader and his floor staff, were so helpful in getting this resolution 
to the floor today.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution that 
commemorates last week's 80th anniversary of the Okeechobee hurricane 
of 1928. Numerous communities in the congressional district that I am 
privileged to serve last week remembered the destruction of the 
Okeechobee hurricane, also known as Hurricane San Felipe Segundo. The 
storm ravaged Florida, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, the Bahamas, 
and numerous islands of the Caribbean.
  The resolution also pays tribute appropriately to the over 4,000 
lives lost from this tragic storm. More than 3,000 were lost in the 
United States alone, the second largest death toll ever recorded by the 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Floridians living near 
Lake Okeechobee in communities that I am now privileged to represent 
experienced a devastating loss of life when the hurricane led to 
extensive breaches of the levees surrounding the lake.
  Of the more than 3,000 casualties in the continental United States, 
more than 75 percent were migrant workers near Lake Okeechobee who were 
overwhelmingly African American.
  The lack of capacity to respond to the storm and racial overtones of 
the era led to extensive disparities in the treatment of victims of the 
hurricane. Many African Americans were buried in poorly or unmarked 
mass graves, including one site in West Palm Beach where over 670 
unfortunate souls were laid to rest.
  Similar graves for white victims of the tragedy were visibly 
memorialized, whereas many African American graves were forgotten and 
still not known and some not recognized until many years later.
  Mr. Speaker, neglecting these darker moments of our history can 
overlook important lessons, as we saw with the devastation of 
Hurricanes Katrina, Gustav, and most recently, Ike. Beyond just 
recognizing the victims of the Okeechobee hurricane, their loss is a 
reminder of what can happen when there are injustices in disaster 
response and mitigation.
  The potential for devastation due to failing infrastructure following 
disasters exists in many places throughout our Nation. That is why this 
resolution also places emphasis on hurricane preparedness and 
education.
  It also commends the Army Corps of Engineers for the work that they 
are doing today to repair the Herbert Hoover Dike. The dike, which was 
built in the 1930s to protect the Lake Okeechobee communities that were 
flooded and destroyed by the Okeechobee hurricane, is in dire need of 
repairs. To date, Congress has appropriated well over $100 million to 
repair the dike. Without continued help, these communities will be 
vulnerable to devastation from future storms.
  I wish to add a footnote. I came here 15 years ago. And all of my 
colleagues from Louisiana on both sides of the aisle in the Senate and 
in the House were continuously arguing then about the levees in New 
Orleans, and I just shudder to think about the fact that we were tardy 
in responding to them.
  The experience of the Okeechobee hurricane still touches the lives of 
so many of my constituents and people throughout Florida and the 
Caribbean.
  One of them I wish to personally memorialize, Dave Larramore, who we 
referred to as Brother Larramore. One of his favorite expressions was 
``ain'tchaknow.''
  Brother Larramore was from the Bahamas and he was in Okeechobee when 
that storm occurred in 1928. He lost eight members of his family. He 
was holding on to his wife who was holding his child, and she dropped 
the child, and he grabbed the baby; and they were the only ones that 
came out of that storm.
  He told that story often and stories of others. I take this 
opportunity to remember him with the kindness that this body offers to 
our people when they pass, no matter how long ago that it was.
  The House's consideration of this resolution today is both 
appropriate and timely. I ask for my colleagues' support.

                              {time}  1930

  Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, I submit my statement for the 
Record.
  I rise today to support H. Res. 1376 as amended, to commemorate the 
80th anniversary of the Okeechobee Hurricane of 1928.
  H. Res. 1376 as amended memorializes the loss of more than 3,000 
lives in the United States and in the Caribbean as a result of 
Okeechobee Hurricane, also known as Hurricane San Felipe Segundo of 
1928. This devastating storm formed in the Atlantic Ocean, traveled 
through the Caribbean Sea, and made landfall in Palm Beach County, 
Florida, on September 16, 1928.
  According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 
this was the second deadliest hurricane on record in Untied States 
history, exacting the loss of over 3,000 lives in the United States and 
its territories. Approximately 75 percent of the fatalities were 
African American. The extensive impact of this hurricane on African-
American migrant workers in southern and central Florida was 
memorialized in the famous 1937 literary work of Zora Neale Hurston, 
``Their Eyes Were Watching God''.
  This resolution also recognizes the importance of hurricane 
preparedness measures, enhanced evacuation and emergency plans, and 
disaster response training especially in economically disadvantaged 
communities to prevent a disproportionate impact of natural disasters 
and disparities in disaster response. This year's hurricanes, including 
Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, continue to reinforce the importance of 
these activities.
  The resolution also recognizes the role of relevant Federal agencies, 
research institutes, universities, and disaster response organizations 
in providing intensity forecasting, long-range projections of hurricane 
activity, emergency management, and hurricane and storm damage 
reduction to better prepare for, respond to, and mitigate the extensive 
loss of life and devastating impacts of hurricanes and storms.
  As a result of this and later hurricanes in the 1940s and 1950s, a 
series of larger dikes was built around the lake. The Herbert Hoover 
Dike was the culmination of large dike construction around Lake 
Okeechobee and was completed in the 1960s and consists of 143 miles of 
levees. Recent reviews of the Herbert Hoover Dike have indicated that 
the dike is in a deteriorating condition. The Army Corps of Engineers 
is presently undertaking a comprehensive rehabilitation of the dike to 
provide protection for citizens living in the area of Lake Okeechobee.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in agreeing to the resolution.
  Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I want to thank Mr. Hastings, the gentleman from Florida, and his 
Florida colleagues for bringing this resolution forward.
  On September 16, 1928, one of the worst storms in Florida's history 
made landfall. While no reliable wind readings are available and the 
Saffire-Simpson hurricane scale had not been developed, there were 
reports of minimum pressures of 27.43 inches, making this the fourth 
strongest hurricane of record to hit the United States.
  With wind speeds being recorded of up to 160 miles per hour, 
significant damages affected Caribbean nations, the United States, and 
its territories. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration, this hurricane would have been a strong category four 
storm when it struck the United States coast.
  The damage to property was immense, estimated at $50 million in 
Puerto Rico and $25 million in Florida, equating to almost $35 billion 
when adjusted to today's dollars, making it the eighth most damaging 
hurricane in the Nation's history.
  More importantly, this hurricane caused heavy casualties and 
catastrophic destruction along its path from the Leeward Islands to 
Florida. The worst tragedy occurred at inland Lake Okeechobee in 
Florida, where the hurricane caused a lake surge of six to nine feet 
that inundated the surrounding area. In some cases, the flood waters 
exceeded 12 feet, trees were uprooted, crops destroyed, homes torn from 
their foundations, and entire families drowned.
  According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's 
National Hurricane Center, up to 3,000 died in the United States and 
its territories. Small towns south of the lake were wiped from the 
Earth in this hurricane. Only the storm at Galveston, Texas, in 1900 
caused greater loss of life.
  While hurricanes still assault America's coastline, the Nation is 
better

[[Page H9369]]

prepared today to respond to these types of events. Storm damage 
reduction projects, warning systems, and mitigation efforts have helped 
to reduce the catastrophic loss of life as was witnessed in 1928.
  As we commemorate this tragic event of 80 years ago, let us also 
recognize that today's investments in hurricane and flood risk 
reduction projects save both lives and property.
  There are many ways to reduce the risk of storm damage in low-lying 
coastal areas, some are structural, such as levees and flood gates; 
some are nonstructural, such as zoning, response planning, and 
insurance. All levels of government must use their abilities and their 
budgets to reduce hurricane and flood damage in the Nation.
  I urge all Members to support the resolution. And again, I want to 
thank the gentleman from Florida for bringing this forward. Certainly, 
we need to remember events like this and prevent their occurrence in 
the future.
  Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support H. Res. 1376, to 
commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Okeechobee Hurricane of 1928.
  H. Res. 1376 memorializes the loss of more than 3,000 lives in the 
United States and its territories as a result of Hurricane Okeechobee 
in 1928. Furthermore, the resolution recognizes the importance of 
hurricane preparedness, mitigation, enhanced evacuation measures, 
emergency plans, and disaster response training for helping to prevent 
the tragic loss of life as a result of natural disasters. This 
resolution recognizes the important roles that the Federal Government, 
States, and local governments all play in planning, collaborating, 
preparing for, and mitigating loss in the event of a natural disaster.
  Hurricane Okeechobee, also known as Hurricane San Felipe Segundo, had 
winds exceeding 160 miles per hours. This was the first recorded 
hurricane to achieve winds at levels which equate to a Category 5 on 
the modern Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. The hurricane made its way 
through the Caribbean Sea, landing in Palm Beach County, Florida, and 
then making its way up the East Coast from September 10-20, 1928, and 
then travelled all the way to Ontario, Canada. The storm surge on Lake 
Okeechobee overwhelmed the low dike around the lake, flooding hundred 
of acres and killing thousands of people.
  As a result of the Okeechobee Hurricane and later hurricanes in the 
1940s and 1950s, a series of larger dikes was built around the lake. 
The Herbert Hoover Dike was the culmination of large dike construction 
around Lake Okeechobee and was completed in the 1960s. Recent reviews 
of the Herbert Hoover Dike have indicated the dike is in a 
deteriorating condition. The Army Corps of Engineers is presently 
undertaking a comprehensive rehabilitation of the Dike to provide 
protection for citizens living in the area of Lake Okeechobee.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in agreeing to the resolution.
  Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my 
time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from Maryland (Ms. Edwards) that the House suspend the 
rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1376, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the resolution, as amended, was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________