H. Res. 784
In the House of Representatives, U.S.,
September 28, 2004.
Whereas on August 13, 2004, Hurricane Charley reached
landfall and blasted the southwest region of the State of
Florida with 145 mile per hour winds and 10-foot storm
surges;
Whereas on September 4, 2004, Hurricane Frances reached
landfall and battered the east coast and central region of
Florida with 105 mile per hour winds and up to 17
inches of rain;
Whereas on September 16, 2004, Hurricane Ivan reached
landfall and devastated the panhandle region of Florida
with 130 mile per hour winds and estimated 16-foot
storm surges;
Whereas on September 26, 2004, Hurricane Jeanne reached
landfall and struck the east coast of Florida with 120
mile per hour winds;
Whereas in Florida, 27 people lost their lives due to Hurri-
cane Charley, 30 people lost their lives from the devasta-
tion caused by Hurricane Frances, 21 people lost their
lives from the destruction of Hurricane Ivan, and 6 peo-
ple lost their lives as a result of Hurricane Jeanne;
Whereas tens of thousands of homes and businesses were
damaged or destroyed by the four hurricanes;
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Whereas insured property losses from Hurricane Charley are
estimated at almost $7,000,000,000, losses from Hurri-
cane Frances are estimated at up to $4,000,000,000, and
losses from Hurricane Ivan are estimated at up to
$10,000,000,000;
Whereas more than 20,000 farms were in the path of Hurri-
cane Frances, resulting in more than $2,000,000,000 in
damage to the Florida agriculture community;
Whereas the travel and tourism industry in Florida faces bil-
lions of dollars in lost revenue;
Whereas power outages caused by the hurricanes have af-
fected more than 6,000,000 people;
Whereas Florida Governor Jeb Bush took immediate action
by declaring a major disaster for the entire State of Flor-
ida and deploying necessary resources to deal with this
crisis;
Whereas the Florida Division of Emergency Management of-
ficials did an outstanding job coordinating efforts among
Federal, State, and local entities;
Whereas Michael D. Brown, Under Secretary of Homeland
Security for Emergency Preparedness and Response, re-
sponded quickly to each of the disasters;
Whereas the Federal Emergency Management Agency has
more than 2,700 agency workers helping with recovery
efforts;
Whereas State, local, and municipal elected officials in Flor-
ida diligently voiced the concerns and needs of their re-
spective communities;
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Whereas State and local police officers, firefighters, and first
responders went above and beyond the call of duty in re-
sponding to the four hurricanes;
Whereas Florida Emergency Operations Center personnel
worked tirelessly to direct relief efforts;
Whereas the National Guard was quick to mobilize more than
4,100 troops to help in the relief effort;
Whereas doctors, nurses, and medical personnel worked expe-
ditiously to ensure that hospitals and medical centers
continued providing necessary care to their communities;
Whereas the American Red Cross and other volunteer organi-
zations and charities are supplying hurricane victims with
food, water, and shelter;
Whereas utility companies have worked around-the-clock
shifts to restore electric, phone, cable, and water service
to damaged areas;
Whereas the Army Corps of Engineers has worked to rein-
force thousands of homes with roof damage;
Whereas the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra-
tion did an extraordinary job providing accurate forecasts
of these four devastating storms; and
Whereas thousands of volunteers from across the country
have donated their time and resources to help with recov-
ery efforts: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives commends
the resiliency of the people of the State of Florida and the
work of those individuals who have assisted with the recovery
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efforts after the devastation caused by Hurricanes Charley,
Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne.
Attest:
Clerk.