[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 35, Number 19 (Monday, May 17, 1999)]
[Pages 851-852]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
The President's Radio Address

May 8, 1999

    Good morning. I want to talk to you today about our efforts to help 
the people and communities devastated by the terrible tornadoes that hit 
Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, and Tennessee this week. These tornadoes killed 
over 50 people, injured hundreds more, and damaged or destroyed 
thousands of homes and

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businesses. I know I speak for all Americans when I say to the families 
who lost so much, our thoughts and prayers are with you.
    Today I'll be flying to Oklahoma City to get a firsthand view of the 
destruction. This is a duty I've performed many times in the aftermath 
of many natural disasters. One thing I've learned is that the images we 
see on television can never fully convey the level of sheer destruction 
or the depth of human grief caused by these disasters. Yet, I've also 
learned that the worst of nature can bring out the best in people.
    At times like these, families rally together; neighbors help 
neighbors; strangers reach out to strangers; while police, doctors, 
firefighters put in 24-hour days in often hazardous conditions without 
complaint. Natural disasters create many victims but bring forth many 
heroes. There are some challenges that no individual, indeed, no 
community can handle alone. And on these occasions the National 
Government must act quickly, effectively, compassionately.
    When I became President, I vowed that the Federal Government would 
do a better job of helping communities respond to the ravages of nature, 
and it has. As part of Vice President Gore's reinventing Government 
effort, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, under the direction of 
James Lee Witt, has gone from being much criticized to becoming a model 
of disaster relief, now recognized all around the world for its speed, 
skill, and dedication.
    Officials from FEMA and other Federal agencies are already on the 
ground in communities hit by this week's tornadoes, healing wounds, 
searching for missing persons, providing shelter, clearing debris, 
restoring power and water, issuing emergency expense checks. But more 
must be done.
    Today I'm glad to announce the Department of Labor will spend over 
$12 million to provide temporary jobs for some 3,500 Oklahomans. Men and 
women who lost their jobs and businesses destroyed by the tornadoes will 
be paid to serve at relief centers, to distribute food and water, to 
help on construction crews. They'll be able to feed their families by 
rebuilding their communities.
    I'm also announcing today that I'll ask Congress for an additional 
$372 million for FEMA's disaster relief fund. These resources are 
crucial for our disaster relief efforts, and I urge Congress to act 
quickly on my request.
    Finally, in the balanced budget that I sent to Congress there is $10 
million to further improve the National Weather Service's next 
generation Doppler radar network. This system makes it possible to issue 
warnings in advance of coming tornadoes so that local residents can seek 
shelter. Over the last decade, average warning times have doubled from 6 
minutes to 12 minutes. Residents of hard-hit Cleveland County, Oklahoma, 
received warnings a full 35 minutes before the tornado touched down 
there this week, and that warning saved lives. That's also why I support 
the creation of a national weather center for state-of-the-art tornado 
and severe storm forecasting at the University of Oklahoma.
    The Federal Government has a responsibility to provide individuals 
with the tools they need to improve their own lives. That's what we're 
doing in Oklahoma this week. Natural disasters test our faith, but they 
also show us that the old-fashioned American values of neighborly care 
and concern are still very much alive. And they remind us of the 
enduring power of the American people to emerge from calamities even 
stronger.
    Thanks for listening.

Note: The address was recorded at 6:03 p.m. on May 7 in La Colombe d'Or 
restaurant in Houston, TX, for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on May 8. The 
transcript was made available by the Office of the Press Secretary on 
May 8 but was embargoed for release until the broadcast.