[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 40, Number 34 (Monday, August 23, 2004)]
[Pages 1611-1613]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks on the Devastation of Hurricane Charley and an Exchange With 
Reporters in Punta Gorda, Florida

August 15, 2004

    The President. The job of the Federal Government and the State 
Government is to surge resources as quickly as possible to disaster 
areas. And that's exactly what's happening now. We choppered over and 
saw the devastation of this area. A lot of people's lives are turned 
upside down. We've got ice and

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water moving in, trailers for people to live in are moving in. State is 
providing security so that people can have peace of mind that their 
neighborhoods will be safe. There's a lot of compassion moving in the 
area. The Red Cross is here.
    What I'm telling is that there's a lot of help moving into this part 
of the world. It's going to take a while to rebuild it. But the 
Government's job is to help people help rebuild their lives, and that's 
what's happening.
    The coordination between the Federal Government and the State 
government and the local government is really important. I think it's 
excellent now. The Governor can speak to that, if you like. But it's 
really important that when we say we're going to do something, that it 
actually happens. And that's what we're following through on now.
    I'll answer some questions, if you've got some.

Community Response

    Q. Can you tell us about some of the people who you spoke with and 
what they told you?
    The President. Well, I've got--you know, these good folks here--this 
is this man's house here. His parents were uprooted from where they were 
living. They came here to spend the night. And that's what you're 
beginning to see. You're beginning to see neighbors helping neighbors. A 
lot of people who have been dislocated are staying with a friend or a 
neighbor. You know, out of these catastrophes the spirit of America 
really shines, and that spirit is neighbor helping neighbor. So that's 
the lesson here.
    The fellow down the street came out okay; he had taken precautions 
necessary. Nearly everybody here that I've talked to had evacuated, as 
the State asked them to do, and therefore, the loss of life was 
minimized. Still, too many people lost their lives, but nevertheless, it 
was not as significant as it could have been. We're here, now, 
obviously, in a residential neighborhood where people's lives have been 
destroyed. They're beginning to worry about insurance claims, and the 
State is organized to handle insurance claims. The key is just to make 
sure that they expedite the services which are available as quickly as 
possible.

Federal Response

    Q. There was some consternation after Andrew that the Federal aid 
didn't arrive soon enough. Can you promise that there will be a more 
expeditious response this time?
    The President. It's happening now----
    Q. Sir----
    The President. Hold up for a second. We're moving a lot of aid very 
quickly, and again, you can ask the Governor whether or not he's 
satisfied with how fast the aid is moving. All I can tell you is that 
FEMA was on the ground yesterday morning, and there's a lot of supplies 
surging this way.
    Yes, ma'am.

Estimates of Damage

    Q. Have you gotten an updated tally of the cost of the damage----
    The President. Not yet. Jeb estimated billions. We'll see.

President's Visit

    Q. Mr. President, some people are going to say that there's a 
political component to your rapid visit to Florida.
    The President. Yes, and if I didn't come they would have said, ``He 
should have been here more rapidly.''
    Q. Yes. [Laughter]

Federal Response

    Q. What about what happened in '92, with Hurricane Andrew? That was 
obviously in August of a Presidential----
    The President. That was then; this is now. And the Government is set 
up to respond very quickly, and we are.
    Q. Was there a lesson learned back then, though?
    The President. The lesson is, respond quickly. And we are responding 
quickly. And we're surging equipment. And the coordination between the 
Federal Government and the State Government is excellent. And the 
Homeland Security Department is doing its job. FEMA Director Brown is 
doing an excellent job. You can talk to the Governor. He can give you a 
sense for--from the State perspective. But from the Federal perspective, 
I was notified that they're going to move as quickly as possible, and 
they are. A lot of stuff is coming. And thank you.

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Note: The President spoke at 10:46 a.m. In his remarks, he referred to 
Gov. Jeb Bush of Florida.