[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 13]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 18232]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                               HURRICANES

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MICHAEL BILIRAKIS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, September 13, 2004

  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my deep sorrow 
and incredible admiration for the people of the State of Florida, who 
have had to endure the damage and destruction of Tropical Storm Bonnie 
and Hurricanes Charley and Frances and who are preparing for the 
landfall of Hurricane Ivan. Not many natural disasters target an entire 
state, and I am comforted to know that even in the toughest of times, 
Floridians can work together and persevere.
  These past few weeks have been very hard for the people of Florida. 
As our families were returning from late summer vacations and our 
children were settling into the new school year, the official hurricane 
season snuck up on us. While Florida's unique location between the 
Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico makes it the most hurricane prone 
state in the Nation, no one would have imagined the loud roar that 
greeted us in the middle of August. We have been challenged by this 
abrupt and alarming hurricane season and one thing is for sure: the 
people of Florida are strong-willed and resilient.
  We have had to board up our homes and businesses, pack our 
belongings, and pray. We have had to return to our homes and watch our 
neighbors pick up what belongings remain. We have had to wait in long 
lines to receive food, water, and gas. And we have had to do this while 
trying to maintain a normal life.
  Florida's tourism industry suffered greatly because of the fear of 
these storms and the ensuing closure of many of Florida's greatest 
attractions, and the agriculture industry also has suffered deeply. The 
State of Florida has a wide range of crops and livestock grown and 
raised in her backyard. Our farmers and ranchers will be affected for 
years after the devastating effects these high winds have had on their 
crops. The total loss in Florida's agricultural production from 
Hurricanes Charley and Frances alone could cost more than $2 billion.
  Before this year, the State of Florida had fallen victim to seven 
major hurricanes and one devastating tropical storm in the past 
century, which makes this year's active hurricane season so unique. 
While much research has been conducted to help the National Weather 
Service detect hurricanes before landfall, the need still remains for 
an exact method to predict the paths of hurricanes and tropical storms.
  The U.S. Congress recognizes the need to further research the impact 
hurricanes and other windstorms have on communities. As we have 
experienced these past few weeks, hurricanes can hit land with wind 
speeds in excess of 155 mph and destroy all that is in their path. The 
Nation's most expensive hurricane, Hurricane Andrew, made landfall near 
Miami in 1992 with wind speeds exceeding 175 mph and caused more than 
$25 billion in damage. It is still too early to measure the monetary 
impact of Hurricanes Charley, Frances and possibly Ivan, and there are 
still six weeks remaining in the official hurricane season.
  The House of Representatives approved the National Windstorm Impact 
Reduction Act on July 8, 2004. This bill establishes a multi agency 
National Windstorm Hazard Reduction Program which will improve the 
understanding of windstorms, windstorm impact assessment, and windstorm 
impact reduction. The bill authorizes much needed funds for research 
and development projects that will improve the understanding of the 
behavior of windstorms and their impact on buildings, structures, and 
lifelines. Through this research, the goal is to ensure the safety of 
buildings and homes from the destructive effects of hurricanes. 
Although approving this legislation will reduce the impact of 
hurricanes and improve the prediction of these storms, this bill will 
not help the victims of this year's hurricanes. Additional research is 
needed to protect our citizens in the future.
  The road to recovery can not be accomplished without all of the help 
and outpouring of support that the State of Florida has received in the 
past few weeks. Thousands of volunteers have come from all over our 
great Nation to restore our electricity, cook us hot meals, provide 
temporary shelter and clothing for those who are now homeless, and help 
us pick up what remains of our communities. I am grateful for all of 
those volunteers and for all of the government agencies that are 
quickly and efficiently working to help the citizens of Florida stand 
up on their feet. We are indebted to your service and will not forget 
your help during these hard times.

                          ____________________