H. Res. 642 

In the House of Representatives, U. S., 

September 25, 2007. 

Whereas on September 4, 2007, Hurricane Felix, a Category 

5 storm, hit the Nicaragua-Honduras border, causing 

over 40,000 people in Nicaragua and Honduras to be 

evacuated, and killing at least 100 people; 

Whereas just weeks before, Hurricane Dean, a Category 5 

storm, hit Mexico and the Caribbean coast, killed 27 persons, displaced over 260,000 persons, and destroyed over 

36,000 homes; 

Whereas Hurricane Henriette, a Category 1 storm, made 

landfall along the Baja California peninsula of Mexico 

hours after Hurricane Felix made landfall, the first time 

since 1949 that two Atlantic and Pacific hurricanes hit 

land on the same day; 

Whereas for the first time in the recorded history of hurricanes, two Category 5 storms, Hurricanes Dean and 

Felix, made landfall during the same year; 

Whereas Hurricane Henriette, though less powerful than 

Hurricane Felix, killed 7 people; 

Whereas the homes of at least 5,000 Central Americans were 

damaged or destroyed by Hurricanes Felix and 

Henriette; 
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Whereas thousands more individuals were unable to be evacuated and forced to endure these hurricanes in the shelter 

of their own homes; 

Whereas Hurricane Felix obtained wind speeds of over 160 

miles-an-hour, causing widespread destruction with heavy 

rains and subsequent mudslides and floods expected to 

follow; 

Whereas Hurricane Felix hit the Miskito Coast, home to the 

Miskito Indians, an indigenous population of Central 

America; 

Whereas relief organizations have reported that thousands of 

Miskito Indians were stranded on the coast and unable 

to travel to safer regions; 

Whereas the poorest civilians of Honduras and Guatemala 

who live in hillside villages will be most susceptible to 

mudslides due to their inland location; 

Whereas Honduras and Nicaragua, the poorest countries of 

Central America, have economies that rely heavily on limited agricultural exports, which make both countries extremely vulnerable to natural disasters; 

Whereas major tourist destinations, including Cabo San 

Lucas, the Mayan Riviera, Cancun, Acapulco, and a host 

of Caribbean islands, were forced to evacuate due to the 

hurricanes, thus harming the tourist industry on which 

these areas depend; and 

Whereas Honduras and Nicaragua were still rebuilding after 

the devastating effects of Hurricane Mitch in 1998, 

which killed nearly 11,000 people and left more than 

8,000 people missing, destroyed the infrastructures and 

economies of both countries, and caused billions of dollars 

in damage: Now, therefore, be it 
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Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

(1) expresses its sympathy to and support for the 

people and governments of the countries of Central 

America, the Caribbean, and Mexico in this time of devastation; 

(2) vows its continued friendship and support for 

our neighbors in Central America, the Caribbean, and 

Mexico; 

(3) urges all parties to continue their efforts in 

evacuating and providing aid to those individuals displaced by the hurricanes; 

(4) recognizes the United States Government’s initial efforts to provide assistance to populations affected 

by the hurricanes and urges increased and continued assistance as the effects of the hurricanes continue to unfold; 

(5) encourages public institutions, specialized agencies, as well as private citizens, to offer their resources; 

and 

(6) recognizes the efforts of relief organizations, including the International Federation of Red Cross and 
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Red Crescent Societies, and the international community, in aiding the people and governments involved. 

Attest: 

Clerk.