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[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 641 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

111th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 641

   Observing the 5th anniversary of the date on which Hurricane Rita 
             devastated the coasts of Louisiana and Texas.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 23, 2010

Ms. Landrieu (for herself, Mr. Vitter, Mr. Cornyn, and Mrs. Hutchison) 
 submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
   Observing the 5th anniversary of the date on which Hurricane Rita 
             devastated the coasts of Louisiana and Texas.

Whereas on September 24, 2005, Hurricane Rita made landfall as a Category 3 
        hurricane just east of the Texas-Louisiana border, between Sabine Pass 
        and Johnson's Bayou, with wind speeds of 120 miles per hour, and further 
        devastated the Gulf Coast, which had already been hit by Hurricane 
        Katrina;
Whereas Hurricane Rita caused 7 deaths, forced 3,000,000 residents to evacuate 
        their homes, caused flooding and tornadoes in the States of Louisiana, 
        Arkansas, Mississippi, and Alabama, and, according to the National 
        Climatic Data Center, left 1,000,000 people without electricity;
Whereas damages from Hurricane Rita are estimated at $11,300,000,000;
Whereas in 2005, Hurricane Rita was the second hurricane to reach Category 5 
        status in the Gulf of Mexico, which, according to the National Climatic 
        Data Center, is only the third time that more than one Category 5 storm 
        has formed in the Atlantic in the same year;
Whereas the storm surge from Hurricane Rita was as high as 15 feet near the 
        landfall site and, according to the United States Geological Survey, 
        traveled as far as 50 miles inland, causing disastrous flooding and 
        massive loss of property;
Whereas tens of thousands of homes and businesses in the States of Louisiana and 
        Texas were destroyed by the flooding; and
Whereas the National Wetlands Center of the United States Geological Survey 
        indicates that 217 square miles of the coastal land of the State of 
        Louisiana were transformed to water after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita: 
        Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) observes the 5th anniversary of the date on which 
        Hurricane Rita devastated the coasts of the States of Louisiana 
        and Texas;
            (2) expresses the support of the Senate to the survivors of 
        Hurricane Rita and the condolences of the Senate to the 
        families of the victims of Hurricane Rita;
            (3) commends the courageous efforts of those who assisted 
        in the response to the storm and the recovery process;
            (4) recognizes the contributions the affected communities 
        in the States of Louisiana and Texas have made to the United 
        States; and
            (5) reaffirms the commitment of the Senate to rebuild, 
        renew, and restore the Gulf Coast region.
                                 <all>
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