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Week Ending September 28, 2007

H.RES.642 Expressing sympathy to and support for the people and governments of the countries of Central America, the Caribbean, and Mexico which have suffered from Hurricanes Felix, Dean, and Henriette and whose complete economic and fatality toll are still unknown.

The preamble traces the impact of Atlantic and Pacific hurricanes on south American countries.

More resolution below…

Sponsor:  Rep. Hilda Solis (CA-32^nd)

Vote: Passed House by voice vote September 24, 2007

Cost to the taxpayers: No discernible cost

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MORE INFORMATION

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;

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

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 Red Crescent Societies, and the international community, in aiding the people and governments involved.

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