[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 40, Number 39 (Monday, September 27, 2004)]
[Pages 2049-2050]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks Following a Meeting With First-Responders in Orange Beach, 
Alabama

September 19, 2004

    Listen, thank you all for coming. Today I've been joined by Governor 
Riley and Governor Bush, Alabama and Florida, and Members of the Senate 
from Alabama, Sessions and Shelby, Congressman Jo Bonner, Congressman 
Miller from Florida, mayors from the affected areas, Mayor Russo, 
Bodenhamer, and Russell.
    The devastation caused by Ivan is terrible. This was a big storm 
that caused a lot of damage and a lot of suffering. And I want to thank 
the people that are working hard to bring some sense of order in the 
lives of these citizens, folks at the State level and at the local 
level. I want to thank the FEMA workers for laying the foundation for 
what is going to be a recovery.
    I was--I know people all across our country join me in praying for 
the families of those who suffered loss of life. I want to thank the 
search and rescue teams from all over the United States who are here, 
using every possible asset they have to find those who are still 
missing.
    We understand thousands don't have power. I want to thank the power 
companies that understand that they have an obligation and a duty to 
restore power as quickly as possible. There are a lot of people working 
for the power companies, a lot of people stringing line from all over 
the southeast of our country. I want to thank them for taking time to 
come down here and help the people sorely affected by this terrible 
storm.
    We toured the beaches in Florida and Alabama and saw how powerful 
this storm was. But the Governors and I fully understand there are 
people inland who have been affected. There are people in rural Alabama, 
small-town Alabama whose lives have been turned upside down by this 
storm as well, people in rural Florida who have been affected by this 
storm. And I want them to understand that when I talk about FEMA help, 
FEMA help not only extends to the beaches; it extends to people inland 
here in the State of Alabama and in Florida as well.
    The amazing thing about these catastrophes is how the American 
people rise to the occasion. The amazing thing about devastation is how 
there is such compassion in the face of such devastation. When I was 
visiting with some of the residents, they were telling me the amount 
of--number of people that have showed up just to provide help, people 
that have heard a call to love a neighbor in a time of distress. And I 
want to thank all those who have come to provide help to a neighbor in 
need.
    I want to appreciate our National Guard troops who are here for 
providing stability. I went to the National Guard bureau convention in 
Vegas the other day and quoted a woman from Florida, from the Punta 
Gorda area, who said it brought her such great comfort to see those who 
wear the uniform, and I appreciate you doing that.
    I want to thank the police and firefighters from this part of the 
world, who have been working overtime, for their compassion, for 
providing stability so people can, at some point in time, get their 
lives back in order.
    The Federal Government has a responsibility to provide aid as 
quickly as possible. FEMA Director Brown is with me today. He has done 
an excellent job on the two hurricanes that hit Florida earlier. He will 
do an excellent job on this hurricane as well in making sure that all 
Federal aid is coordinated well with the State and local governments, 
making sure all the aid that is available gets down here as quickly as 
possible.
    I also want to assure the farmers from this part of the world, the 
nurserymen in this part

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of the world that we will have a plan worked out to help you, that we 
have an obligation at the Federal level to provide assistance, and that 
assistance will be detailed so you understand what kind of help is 
available. As well we understand--fully understand that the highways 
have been affected here, that many of the roads are impassible. We're 
going to work with Congress to ensure that highways and bridges are 
repaired as quickly as possible.
     I want to thank the--again, I want to thank the local officials for 
rising to the occasion. Most of all, I want to tell the citizens of this 
part of the world that we're praying for you, that we'll get help out 
here as quickly as we can, and that we ask God's blessings on you and 
your family.
     Thank you all.

Note: The President spoke at 12:01 p.m. at Orange Beach Fire and Rescue 
Station 1. In his remarks, he referred to Gov. Bob Riley of Alabama; 
Gov. Jeb Bush of Florida; Mayor Steve Russo of Orange Beach, AL; Mayor 
David L. Bodenhamer of Gulf Shores, AL; and Mayor Tim Russell of Foley, 
AL.