[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 10]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 13866]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               NATURAL DISASTERS AND THE FEDERAL RESPONSE

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                       HON. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 12, 2017

  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, Hurricane Harvey and 
Hurricane Irma will both go down in history as two of the most costly 
and destructive hurricanes in United States history. Hurricane Harvey 
is thought to be the most powerful hurricane to hit Texas in more than 
50 years. Countless individuals, homes, and businesses across the 
country have been left devastated in their wake. Initial estimates 
suggest that Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma will have caused 
between $150 and $200 billion in damage to property, homes, and public 
infrastructure.
  These unprecedented storms have already set new records in severity 
and cost to our nation as we begin to look toward recovery. A strong 
and coordinated federal, state, and local response is absolutely vital 
in these critical moments following the storm. More than two weeks 
since Hurricane Harvey first made landfall in Texas, we have witnessed 
incredible cooperation among government agencies, individuals, 
charitable organizations, and others who have played an important role 
in the response, recovery, and relief efforts that have taken place 
over these past few weeks.
  The intensity and frequency of these storms will only increase with 
time, as warmer oceans and extra heat in the atmosphere caused by 
climate change provide even more fuel for weather systems. Studies are 
already demonstrating that storms are intensifying significantly faster 
today than they did 25 years ago. Additional water vapor in the 
atmosphere is also leading to extreme precipitation. In fact, Hurricane 
Harvey brought more than 50 inches of rainfall to the Texas Gulf Coast, 
representing the greatest accumulation of rainfall ever recovered in 
the contiguous United States from a single tropical storm.
  Mr. Speaker, we need to be taking these natural disasters and the 
environment more seriously. The financial and social costs to our 
society of these natural disasters are tremendous and the effects will 
only get worse. The role of the federal government in disaster response 
is critical to our nation's swift recovery. However, the level of 
coordination and resources necessary to properly respond to these 
historic natural disasters will grow with time as bigger and stronger 
natural events occur. For now, we must focus on the recovery at hand by 
assisting the victims and their families. Many survivors will remain 
unable to return to their homes for weeks, while others will be left 
cleaning up debris and other damage for months ahead. The federal 
response--and the compassion and help of others--is more important now 
than ever before.

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