IV 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 453 
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States 
Government should provide additional relief and assistance to the island 
of Dominica. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 30, 2015 
Ms. PLASKETT (for herself, Ms. CLARKE of New York, Ms. WILSON of Flor-
ida, Mr. ENGEL, and Ms. MAXINE WATERS of California) submitted the 
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Af-
fairs 
RESOLUTION 
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that 
the United States Government should provide additional 
relief and assistance to the island of Dominica. 
Whereas Tropical Storm Erika brought calamitous flooding, 
damage, and wreaked havoc to the island of Dominica on 
August 27, 2015; 
Whereas Tropical Storm Erika sustained winds of 50 mph 
and gusts up to 65 mph and dumped over 15 inches (38 
centimeters) of rain on the mountainous island; 
Whereas the population of the island of Dominica is about 
72,000 people; 
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•HRES 453 IH 
Whereas during a televised address, Dominica Prime Minister 
Roosevelt Skerrit said Hurricane Erika set the nation’s 
developmental progress back 20 years, as hundreds of 
homes and multiple other structures were destroyed; 
Whereas Tropical Storm Erika whipped the island of Domi-
nica for more than 5 hours on Wednesday, bringing 
strong winds and a torrent of intense rain that provoked 
flooding and landslides; 
Whereas Tropical Storm Erika has caused Dominica to be set 
back 20 years in the damage inflicted by the storm; 
Whereas Tropical Storm Erika washed away bridges and nu-
merous roads and left several communities cut off from 
the rest of the island; 
Whereas Tropical Storm Erika has left infrastructural dam-
ages estimated at $612,700,000 and 371 houses have 
been destroyed in a population of approximately 72,000 
people; 
Whereas according to the Government of the Commonwealth 
of 
Dominica, 
clean-up 
is 
currently 
estimated 
at 
$12,000,000; 
Whereas cost of reconstruction of tourism infrastructure is 
estimated at $19 million and the reconstruction of 300 
homes, as well as bridges, miles of roadway and water 
systems; 
Whereas with a total reconstruction bill estimated at $300 
million and already carrying a debt burden amounting to 
80 percent of GDP; 
Whereas in response, USAID’s Office of U.S. Foreign Dis-
aster Assistance (USAID/OFDA) provided an initial 
$50,000 through USAID to the Dominica Red Cross So-
ciety to support the local procurement of relief items; 
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•HRES 453 IH 
Whereas since then and as of September 18, it is estimated 
that a total of $165,000 of United States Government 
disaster relief assistance has been targeted to Dominica 
for additional household staples, relocation assistance, 
and other aid; and 
Whereas assessment teams from the USAID/OFDA are still 
working on the ground with the government and the 
Dominica Red Cross to assess and address additional 
needs as they surface: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep-
resentatives that the United States Government should 
provide additional relief and assistance to the island of 
Dominica. 
Æ 
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