[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 15]
[Senate]
[Page 21770]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]





                            HURRICANE FLOYD

  Mr. LOTT. It is always great to see our distinguished President pro 
tempore, Senator Thurmond, here and opening the Senate proceedings. We 
are thankful this morning that his State was spared the kind of 
devastation it seemed to be facing just a couple of days ago. It looks 
as if the hurricane has dropped in power and there has not been the 
damage and devastation that was expected from the hurricane, although 
certainly there are people this morning who are very uncomfortable 
without power and there have been some lives--I believe a couple--lost 
as a result of accidents.
  I am from a hurricane-prone State, Mr. President. I have lived 
through three major ones, including one last September, so I know how 
difficult it can be for those who have had to endure this experience. 
So I don't take bad weather lightly. But we have been watching very 
closely the path of this hurricane and its strength and where it is 
headed. I spoke early this morning to the Sergeant at Arms, Mr. Ziglar, 
and to Senator Barbara Mikulski. Typically, Senator Mikulski calls and 
says, ``I am coming, unless you say don't come.'' I told her to come. 
We believe that while we are going to have some wind and rain today, 
the brunt of the hurricane has been diminished and it will go east of 
this area. So the Senate will go forward.

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