[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.
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