[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 63 (Tuesday, April 28, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1001]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  PRE-DISASTER MITIGATION ACT OF 2009

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                               speech of

                          HON. EARL BLUMENAUER

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, April 27, 2009

  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Madam Speaker, the reauthorization of the Pre-
Disaster Mitigation (PDM) program sends an important signal about the 
effectiveness of hazard mitigation in ensuring public safety and 
reducing financial losses in the event of a natural disaster. I am 
pleased that the House is reauthorizing the program for an additional 
three years and increasing the minimum amount that each State can 
receive from $500,000 to $575,000.
  I have been a longtime supporter of pre-disaster mitigation and the 
approach adopted in the 1990's by former FEMA Administrator James Lee 
Witt as illustrated in the `Project Impact' pilot program. The City of 
Portland, Oregon and Multnomah County, areas I represent, were early 
partners in the Project Impact program which helped to establish a 
flood hazard Community Rating System. By taking steps to mitigate 
potential flood damages in excess of FEMA standards, some area 
floodplain residents were able to qualify for reductions in their flood 
insurance premiums. On a national scale, Project Impact helped 
communities large and small across the country make much needed 
investments in hazard mitigation.
  In 2005, the Multihazard Mitigation Council, on behalf of FEMA, found 
that on average, a dollar spent by FEMA on hazard mitigation provides 
the nation in about $4 in future benefits. In that regard, the Pre-
Disaster Mitigation program is a leading example of how the federal 
government can be a better partner to local communities by helping to 
improve public safety and reduce disaster related financial losses. It 
is the right thing to do for communities that are rebuilding after 
disasters, like New Orleans, and for those trying to avoid becoming the 
next victims.

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