[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 5]
[Senate]
[Page 6121]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  NATIONAL HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS WEEK

  Mr. VITTER. Mr. President, I wish to recognize the week of May 15 
through 21, 2016, as National Hurricane Preparedness Week.
  As each Louisianian knows, the beginning of June marks the beginning 
of hurricane season, and we are acutely aware of how dangerous and 
damaging these storms can be. As we recognize National Hurricane 
Preparedness Week, I want to emphasize the importance of making 
adequate preparations to keep our families and communities safe. While 
it is impossible to predict when a disaster will strike, being 
informed, prepared, and having a plan can make all the difference in 
the world.
  The National Hurricane Center recommends that folks take specific 
steps to prepare, such as creating a plan for your family, buying 
proper supplies ahead of time, locating a safe room or the safest areas 
in your home for each hurricane hazard, making a plan for your pets, 
and taking First Aid, CPR, or disaster preparedness classes.
  On a Federal level, I have been working to implement precautionary 
measures. As chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure 
Subcommittee, I worked with my Republican and Democrat colleagues on 
the critically important Water Resources Development Act of 2016, which 
recently passed through the Senate Committee on Environment and Public 
Works. This bill would advance numerous hurricane protection efforts 
that will make our communities safer and better prepared for such 
disasters, most notably through the support it provides to coastal 
restoration efforts in Louisiana. Passing WRDA 2016 is an absolute top 
priority, and I will continue working to bring it to the Senate floor 
for a vote in the near future.
  Regarding long-term preparedness, I am proud to announce that my 
bipartisan bill to reauthorize the National Estuary Program is on its 
way to the President's desk to be signed into law. Louisiana's 
estuaries create a natural buffer zone and have protected thousands of 
square miles of land along the coast, including some of the Nation's 
busiest ports, high-yielding fisheries, and vast oil and mineral 
deposits. My bill will make sure our critical estuaries are restored 
and preserved so that our coastal communities are better protected 
ahead of future storms.
  Hurricanes are part of life, especially in Louisiana, but diligence 
and preparation can help reduce their impact on your family, home, and 
business. I urge you to take hurricane watches and warnings seriously. 
Please plan ahead for your family's safety, and encourage your 
neighbors to do the same.

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