[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 90 (Wednesday, June 8, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H3557-H3562]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
{time} 1915
FLOODING IN THE STATE OF TEXAS
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of
January 6, 2015, the Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Al
Green) for 30 minutes.
General Leave
Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their
remarks and include extraneous materials on the subject of my Special
Order. That subject, Mr. Speaker, will be flooding in the State of
Texas.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Texas?
There was no objection.
Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I and a good many of my
colleagues will speak tonight about circumstances that are occurring in
Texas more often than we would care to see. In a sense, Mr. Speaker,
this is a continuation of a mission of mercy that we embarked upon
earlier this year when we were having flooding in Houston, Texas.
These floods that we are having across the length and breadth of our
State are causing great property damage, and that is worthy of a lot of
consideration and it is worthy of being addressed on the floor of the
House of Representatives. But we also have a good many lives that have
been lost across the length and breadth of our State, and these, of
course, are of paramount importance to us. So while we may make some
references to the property damages and there will be some things said
about possible solutions, I believe that we will say a good deal about
the lives that have been lost.
At this time, Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas' 27th
Congressional District (Mr. Farenthold) to give his comments.
Mr. Farenthold has experienced some flooding, and I am honored to
have him appear and tell us about what is happening to his constituents
in the 27th Congressional District.
Mr. FARENTHOLD. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor and a privilege to be
here.
A little over a year ago, there were some horrible floods just
outside the district I represent in Wimberley, Texas, that took the
lives of several constituents vacationing there in Corpus Christi,
Texas. In fact, some of the bodies of the young children who perished
in that horrible flood have yet to be recovered. My family's prayers
and the prayers of the Nation go to those grieving families and the
survivors and for the repose of the souls of those who passed.
There has been a lot of flooding in Texas over the past year or so,
just as recently as last week. I represent Wharton, Texas. The river in
Wharton rose just as it had gotten repairs from the previous flood a
few months earlier. All the Sheetrock was newly installed and ready to
go; and sure enough, another flood comes and the damage to the property
continues.
Unfortunately, the floods of last week and the previous weeks did not
result in loss of life in the district that I represent. Thank the Lord
for that.
I tell you, in the past 14 months, another county I represent,
Bastrop, has experienced the worst flooding it has seen in 35 years. It
is currently dealing with $2.5 million in damaged infrastructure, and
20 roads still remain closed today. Of the 100-plus homes damaged in
the past 14 months, more than half were determined to be unlivable, and
four families still remain in temporary housing.
Earlier, in Wharton County, more than 1,000 people were evacuated and
150 homes flooded. It has really been tough.
I was driving through and visited with the emergency management folks
in Wharton. You look at the fields of green. I posted on Instagram the
picture of a milo field. It said, ``Amber waves of flooded grain.''
Cotton fields are under water as well.
In addition to the property damage, I think our farmers in Texas may
suffer from an overabundance of water. As I grew up in a farming
family, our complaint was it either rained too much, too little, or at
the wrong time. I will tell you that these floods have just been
horrible in Texas.
I do want to thank the folks from FEMA, the Federal Emergency
Management Agency, for their quick response.
What it has told us is that we are taking way too much time for
projects to stem the flooding, levees and the like, to get approved by
the Army Corps of Engineers and the other Federal agencies. The funding
for it is difficult to come by.
We end up spending all this money with FEMA. If some of that money
were redirected to preventive maintenance or preventing these floods,
we might save lives and certainly save property as well. I think it is
something that this Congress should look at: preventing problems rather
than just reacting to them.
I also want to commend the first responders and the emergency
management personnel throughout Texas who have done so much. I also
want to offer my thoughts and prayers to those brave servicemen who
perished in Texas in the training exercises as well.
[[Page H3558]]
It has been a tough few months here back in Texas. But you know what?
We are Texans, and we will survive. We will mourn those we have lost,
and we will rebuild, and we will continue to reflect that which is the
greatest of the American spirit: perseverance through adversity.
I thank Mr. Al Green for the opportunity to speak.
Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Texas
(Mr. Farenthold) for the unity that is engendered by his being here
tonight.
It is important for people to know that this is not a time for
Democrats or a time for Republicans. This is a time for Texans to come
together and to talk about some of the concerns that we have and to
remember those who have lost their lives in these floods.
At this time, I am honored to yield to a neighbor who is from the
22nd Congressional District of Texas. He is south of me. Of course, I
speak of the Honorable Pete Olson. We are honored to have him with us
tonight, and we welcome your commentary about some of the concerns in
your district and, indeed, across the State.
I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Olson).
Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend and neighbor to the east,
Mr. Al Green, for holding this very Special Order about floods we have
had in Texas.
It has been a rough year in Texas' 22nd Congressional District. Last
Memorial Day, we had the 100-year flood and lost one life, one who
drove into a flooded small creek and died in their vehicle.
Tax day 2016, there was lots of street flooding. I had to move my
pickup truck off my street before it was taken over by the water.
The worst came 2 weeks ago, the 500-year flood. The Brazos River came
out of its banks like never before. That river cuts through the heart
of my district. It first hit Simonton, a small town in the northwest
part of Fort Bend County. They had a mandatory evacuation on May 29.
Every home, except for 12, left. Almost all the homes have been
flooded.
Next, was Richmond and Rosenberg. Two days after Simonton, they, too,
had mandatory evacuations and had homes north of the railroad track
flooded.
Next came my hometown of Sugar Land. We had to cancel our Memorial
Day celebration because our park was flooded.
Next came Missouri City, Sienna Plantation, floods there. It crossed
over Brazoria County and went down to Rosharon, and that place was
flooded out as well. Luckily, God willing, we lost no lives these past
couple of weeks.
I saw the greatest in Texans this past week. I put 500 miles on my
pickup truck in 8 days. At our Fort Bend emergency command operations
center, people from all over the region had taken pizza, Chick-fil-A,
coffee, Shipley Do-Nuts, kolaches, making sure these people who were
working 24/7 are fed.
I saw an old-fashioned cattle drive. Sheriff Troy Nehls led other
sheriffs on a cattle drive, moving some cattle down flooded 90, away
from the threat of floods.
But the best, my friend, was 2 days ago. My wife, Nancy, and I drove
over the river and went down to Rosenberg, Texas, to be with B.F. Terry
High School. There was a recovery center giving out goods to people in
need. This effort was started by what is called The Church, Second Mile
Ministry, and Lamar Consolidated Independent School District, who
opened up B.F. Terry High School. Every single day they said, ``We need
more rooms. We have to have more space,'' and they got it.
Nancy and I were assigned to stuffing small bags with one roll of
toilet paper, a toothbrush, some toothpaste, some shampoo, some soap,
and a razor. We were supervised by three young ladies: Rachel,
Isabella, and Layla. They were a true team of Texans, my friend. I
called Rachel ``the skipper'' because, man, she was in charge. I called
Isabella ``the executive officer'' because she was number two in making
sure everything worked well. And Layla was ``the weapons officer.''
Don't mess with Layla. I failed my inspection the first two times. I
could not get the bag closed. They got on my back and made sure that I
closed that bag so people could have all they needed in times of
crisis.
That is what makes Texas so great, my friend: not waiting for D.C.,
but neighbors helping neighbors in need. Those ladies know what the
Bible says: love thy neighbor more than thyself.
Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for not
only what he has said tonight, but for what he has been doing in his
district to help persons in times of need. It is greatly appreciated by
his constituents, and I greatly appreciate you coming to the floor
tonight to let people know that we in Texas are standing together, and
we are going to work together and we will get through this, but it
won't hurt if we can get a little bit of help.
I am honored to have another colleague, who has a district that is in
Houston. Of course, he has been in Congress for many years, and I
consider him a very dear friend, the Honorable Gene Green, from the
29th Congressional District in Houston, Texas.
I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gene Green).
Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague and
namesake from Houston, Congressman Al Green. I appreciate his effort,
both on the legislation that we are cosponsors of, but also setting up
these Special Orders. It is great to have bipartisan support.
As we found out in Houston, it doesn't matter if you are a Democrat
or a Republican. If your house gets flooded, your cars get flooded, in
some cases, the lives of your family and your neighbors are in
jeopardy, as Texans, we work together.
I have watched this over the years because we have had some terrible
floods over the years, whether it be Tropical Storm Allison in 2001,
Hurricane Ike in 2008, or what we are seeing now in May of 2015, which
we called the Memorial Day flooding that was devastating and included
more than 11 inches of rain and $3 billion in damage. But in April of
2016, this year, Houston and areas experienced what we call the
devastating tax day flooding on April 18 that claimed lives and caused
hundreds of millions of dollars in damage.
In the last 3 weeks, just before Memorial Day, we also have seen
historic rainfalls and subsequent flooding. The rain in the Houston
area has ceased, but downstream in Brazoria County is my colleague from
Fort Bend, just southwest of Houston, the flooding has continued. An
estimated 200,000 residents, nearly two-thirds of the population of
Brazoria County, have been affected by the flooding. Once again, I
stand before this body while southeast Texas is under water.
Once again, I stand with my Houston colleagues and ask the House of
Representatives to give our constituents the resources we need to
protect lives and property in the future.
I have worked with my colleague, Al Green, on H.R. 5025, to
appropriate $311 million to complete our bayou system. These projects
are not imaginary. They are ideas that would help, and these projects
during the process would save lives. These are projects that the Corps
of Engineers have said that they have approved. We just don't have the
money to complete them.
In the Houston area, we have a number of bayou systems that actually
start in Congressman Olson's, Congressman Al Green's, Congressman
Culberson's, and Congressman McCaul's districts. But it runs through my
area because I have the eastern side of Harris County, where Buffalo
Bayou and the Houston Ship Channel are located. We are downstream from
those, and we see that flooding ourselves. I ask the House to bring our
bill to the floor and to help mitigate the suffering of these thousands
of Texans.
Earlier this month, our office received early notification that the
United States is entering hurricane season as of June 1. Once again,
the problem could be expanded. Like I said earlier, in 2001, Tropical
Storm Allison hit the Texas Gulf Coast and devastated my area of east
and north Houston. In 2008, Hurricane Ike caused citywide flooding and
hundreds of millions of dollars in damage. Again, it came over our
district in east Harris County.
Now we face another hurricane season with the possibility of extended
damage and no protection for our vulnerable citizens. Houstonians
continue
[[Page H3559]]
to suffer the effects of Mother Nature, and we have the ability to help
them. The President has declared Houston a disaster area a number of
times.
Again, with hurricane season upon us, we would like to see that
Congress responds and acts on H.R. 5025 as the best option now.
{time} 1930
Again, these are flood control projects that have been approved. We
just don't have the money. Of course, in Houston, Harris County, we
have a flood control district that we pay our property tax to. They
have to come up with a match for the Federal funding, so it is not all
Federal funding taking care of our problems. It is actually local folks
also paying up to be able to keep our houses and homes from flooding
and our families and neighbors from drowning.
Again, I ask my colleagues to support H.R. 5025. I want to thank my
colleague, Al Green, for his leadership on this. We will continue to
ask our colleagues to help even through this hurricane season. It
doesn't end until typically the end of October. Again, I thank the
gentleman for yielding to me.
Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. I thank my colleague for coming to the floor.
I know a good many of his constituents--he and I are often in each
other's districts. I know that they are exceedingly pleased that he has
taken up this cause. My hope is that he and I will continue with this
mission of mercy, if you will, such that we will bring to fruition some
solutions for the problems that we encounter not only in Houston, but
also across the length and breadth of our State.
I am honored to yield, Mr. Speaker, to the gentleman from the 20th
Congressional District of Texas (Mr. Castro), who is in Congress not as
a neophyte. I believe he has been here now into his second term. He has
done an outstanding job since he arrived in Congress. We are honored to
hear from him about some of his concerns and his constituents.
Mr. CASTRO of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Green for
yielding me this time and for organizing tonight's discussion on the
devastation our State has seen in recent weeks and months. I know that
his city of Houston has experienced truly horrific flooding and
destruction, and I offer my condolences to him and to the entire
Houston community.
These storms have been severe and deadly. We all mourn the loss of
nine soldiers training at Fort Hood whose lives were taken way too soon
in floodwaters last week. Six other people across Texas have also died
as a result of the storms as well. My prayers are with the families and
loved ones of all those whose lives were claimed by this terrible
flooding.
Some of the most destructive weather that my hometown, San Antonio,
experienced was back in April when three hailstorms struck our city.
The Insurance Council of Texas estimates that those storms caused more
than $2 billion in damage, and the Council projects $1.93 billion in
losses from auto and homeowner claims.
It is not unusual for San Antonio to get a foot of rain by early June
each year, but rainfall totals are already double that amount so far in
2016. All of this precipitation is a major economic hit to our city,
and it poses a real threat to people's well-being.
I urge folks in San Antonio and across Texas to educate themselves on
storm and flood safety. I also encourage Texans who have questions
about what help the Federal Government can provide during this trying
time to reach out to their Members of Congress. You see a number of us
here on the House floor tonight drawing attention to this issue,
specifically the issue of flooding in Texas. We are deeply concerned,
and we are here to offer any assistance that we can.
I would also say to Congressman Green that in addition to what has
been the tragic loss of life and the obvious property destruction
wrought by these floods, there is also an untold cost in the flooding.
I grew up in a few neighborhoods in San Antonio where we didn't have
sidewalks, for example.
Often in lower income areas or even in middle-income areas, older
parts of the city that don't have sidewalks and don't have the proper
infrastructure to deal with even mid-level flooding. People's basements
or garages will flood, ruining a lot of property. These are folks who
oftentimes are renters or don't have insurance, and so there is really
no recourse for them. They end up just paying the price.
It really speaks to the importance of the work that we do, the States
do, and the local governments do in making sure that infrastructure is
properly built, that it is built across cities and counties, and that
flooding is prevented everywhere it can be.
Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I greatly appreciate the
gentleman sharing time with us on the floor tonight. He has spoken very
eloquently about some of the concerns that go beyond the visible
property damages.
Ostensibly things happen, but there are some other things that are
happening that we don't always uncover. When these things happen to
poor people, the damages can exceed far more than the eye can see. I am
grateful that he has called some of these things to our attention.
Thank you very much.
At this time, I am going to call upon another colleague. All of these
are dear friends. These are persons who have come to the floor tonight,
quite frankly, not in a bipartisan effort, but more in a nonpartisan
effort. There is no partisanship associated with what we do. We work
together on these issues.
I am honored to yield to the gentleman from the 14th Congressional
District, the Honorable Randy Weber. He is one of my neighbors as well.
I welcome you, and I yield to him, my dear friend.
Mr. WEBER of Texas. I thank my good friend, Congressman Green from
Houston, for yielding to me. I appreciate that. He is the consummate
gentleman. I appreciate him lining this up and helping us to draw
attention to it.
Mr. Speaker, all the recent rains in Texas have devastated parts of
up to 31 counties in our beloved State. Governor Greg Abbott has
declared them a disaster area. I happen to represent the lower half of
Brazoria County, from the south side of Alvin going south, and it has
been the recipient of a lot of flooding.
On Monday, I toured the Emergency Management Office Command Center in
Angleton, Texas, which is the county seat for Brazoria County. I was
privileged to meet with County Judge Matt Sebesta and others as I was
introduced to the Brazoria County first responders working night and
day to take care of our citizens, our citizens' animals and their
livestock, and their property as much as we could.
I was also privileged, Mr. Speaker, to go up in a Texas DPS
helicopter with two of our great Department of Public Safety pilots.
Wow. What devastation, Congressman Green, in Brazoria County. I have
pictures on my iPhone. I mean, it is just unbelievable the flooded
areas. The devastation and destruction is astounding. Waters from the
Brazos River, the San Bernard, and other creeks and bayous are out of
their banks and wreaking havoc in our area.
Mr. Speaker, I want my constituents to know that our office is
already on the ground in the area, already working to ensure that FEMA
is in gear, and that our constituents are taken care of. I would like
to give a shout out to my great staff, Ms. Dodie Armstrong, Ms. Carmen
Galvan, and Jed Webb, who have been on the ground there at the
Emergency Management Center monitoring this almost night and day and
interfacing with the county to provide them any assistance needed. We
have assured Brazoria County that anything we can do, as my good friend
Joaquin Castro was saying, from our end to assist, we would be glad to
do that.
Let me just add that we, too, mourn the loss of the Fort Hood
soldiers. Our thoughts and prayers go out to them and their families.
Mr. Speaker, we will bounce back from this. Our great Brazoria County
first responders are on top of the situation, and our great Brazoria
County folks are resilient. I have to say that about Congressman
Green's Houston constituents as well, our Texas people.
I have lived on the Gulf Coast of Texas almost 63 years. In fact, it
will be 63 years this July 2nd coming up. I have seen nothing quite of
this magnitude in flooding in our area, but I have seen a lot of
hurricanes, a lot of disasters. Texans are a resilient people.
[[Page H3560]]
They are going to need our help. They are going to need our prayers.
They are going to need some time to heal and get back to business as
usual.
I want to say, again, thank you to my good friend, Al Green from
Houston, for setting this up in a very bipartisan way. We just
appreciate that.
Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the Honorable Randy
Weber. I especially thank him for signing on early to the legislation
that Congressman Gene Green called to our attention. I appreciate it
greatly. We look forward to working with the gentleman. I thank him for
the outstanding effort.
Mr. Speaker, you heard one of our Members mention that we were having
100-year and 500-year floods. This is debatable, I suppose, whether
they are 100-year floods or 500-year floods, but there is one fact that
is beyond dispute. It is beyond reproach. The fact is this: We are
having billion dollar floods. Billion dollar floods, Mr. Speaker, in
Houston, Texas.
Within the last year, a little more than a year now, but within a 12-
month period of time, Houston, Texas, has been declared a disaster area
twice. Twice. Over the last 20 years, billions of dollars spent, and we
have had 4 to 5 days of flooding each year over the last 20 years.
This flooding is causing great harm to property. There are people who
have just moved back into their homes, Mr. Speaker, and they find
themselves now being evicted by floodwaters again, waters that they
cannot extricate themselves from. Their homes are stationary and fixed.
They have to cope with these floods. They have to cope with their life
after the floods. We are here tonight to let the country know that we
in Houston, Texas, are tough. We are Texas tough. But there is
something that we can do to help the people in Houston, Texas.
I don't want to talk about that right now, to be quite candid with
you. After losing the lives of our military persons in Fort Hood,
Texas, I believe it is very important for us to make some special
reference to them. These are people who have served this country, who
were prepared to live and die for the country. They are persons who
were in training, and they were among the finest that we have. I regret
that we have lost them.
All lives are precious. All lives are special. I came to the floor
earlier, and I recited the names of persons who had lost their lives,
some 16 persons in the Memorial Day flood and the tax day flood. At
this time, I believe it necessary and appropriate to mention the
persons who lost their lives in Fort Hood, nine soldiers.
Mr. Speaker, we had a staff sergeant lose his life, Staff Sergeant
Miguel Angel Colonvazquez, 38 years of age. Mr. Speaker, he served with
honor. He received five Army Commendation Medals and Army Achievement
Medals, three Army Good Conduct Medals, two Korea Defense Service
Medals, the Army Service Ribbon, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Medal, and other honors as well.
Specialist Yingming Sun, age 25, from California. He received the
National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Medal, the
Korea Defense Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas
Service Ribbon.
Specialist Christine Faith Armstrong, age 27, from California. She
received the National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism
Medal, Korea Defense Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, and the
Overseas Service Ribbon.
Private First Class Brandon Austin Banner, 22 years of age. He
received the National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism
Medal, Korea Defense Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas
Service Ribbon, Marksmanship Qualification Badge.
Private First Class Zachery Nathaniel Fuller, age 23, Floridian. He
received the National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism
Medal, Army Service Ribbon.
Private Isaac Lee Deleon, age 19. He received the National Defense
Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Medal, Army Service Ribbon.
Private Eddy Gates, age 20, North Carolina. She received the National
Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Medal, Army Service
Ribbon.
Private Tysheena James, age 21. She received the National Defense
Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Medal, Army Service Ribbon.
Finally, Cadet Mitchell Alexander Winey, age 21. He was majoring in
Engineering Management at West Point.
Mr. Speaker, I am grateful for the time, and I would like to close
with this, if you will allow. All of these people were meeting the
measure of life that Ruth Smeltzer called to our attention: Some
measure their lives by days and years, others by heartthrobs, passions
and tears; but the surest measure under God's sun is what for others in
your lifetime have you done.
{time} 1945
These were persons who were committed to doing for others in this
great country; and they were committed to doing it to the extent that,
unfortunately, with all of their honors, they lost their lives in
circumstances from which they could not extricate themselves under
adverse weather conditions.
I believe that they are worthy of a moment of a silence. They are
worthy of much more, to be quite candid with you, but I believe that
tonight this House should recognize all of them and all of those who
have lost their lives with a moment of silence. And I shall ask that we
engage in such at this time.
Mr. Speaker, I would have the families of all of them note that they
may be gone physically, but they will never be forgotten. We want the
record to show that they served their country with distinction and with
honor.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in
recognition of the ongoing flooding in my home state of Texas. Texas
has experienced numerous incidences of heavy rain and extreme weather
events since last summer, which have resulted in extensive flooding,
property damage, and tragic loss of life.
Flooding and heavy rain has affected much of our vast state this
spring. Flood warnings continue throughout Dallas County along the
Trinity River this week, while my district has been the focus of flash
flooding and severe weather for the better part of this year. Further
throughout Texas, rain gauges at the Austin-Bergstrom International
Airport, College Station-Bryan, and San Angelo have recorded the
wettest spring seasons on record for these areas.
Recent flooding in Texas has so far claimed the lives of 16
individuals and has resulted in significant costs associated with
property damage. Even more alarming is the fact that these catastrophic
floods seem to be occurring with greater severity and frequency over
time. More than ever, we need to recognize the effects of climate
change on our normal weather systems. Before we can begin to seriously
address these severe acts of nature, we must trace these events back to
their root cause. Climate change is undeniably a significant
contributing factor of the increase in frequency and severity of these
storms.
The State of Texas has fostered a strong relationship with our
federal partners, such as the Department of Homeland Security, to
deliver critical funding and emergency response for rescue and clean-up
efforts. As long as these floods continue, we need to continue to build
on our cooperation and work over the past year by not only improving
our response to current events, but also by taking deliberate steps to
mitigate future risks.
Mr. Speaker, the extreme weather events that we are experiencing in
Texas are emblematic of the potentially devastating consequences of
climate change--and this is only the beginning. As we continue our
efforts to assist the people of Texas, I urge for more federal
assistance in our fight to address the recent rain and flooding while
also mitigating future flooding concerns throughout the state.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, on April 17-18, 2016 Houston
experienced a historic flood event that claimed the lives of eight
people; damaged over 1,150 households; disrupted hundreds of
businesses; closed community centers, schools, and places of worship
due to flood waters.
On Monday, April 25, I led a tour and held a press conference with
the Army Corps of Engineers, local and state elected officials to focus
on the damaged caused by the flood and to refocus our efforts on
reducing the damage and frequency of flooding in the Houston area.
On April 25, President Obama granted the request for federal
Individual Assistance for Harris County residences and business owners
who were affected by severe weather and flooding. I would like to thank
all the local, state and federal officials who helped in making this
possible.
[[Page H3561]]
On May 3, 2016, I held a town hall for the residents of Houston,
which includes my constituents in the 18th Congressional District so
that they could learn from FEMA what resources were available to assist
them with recovery.
Unfortunately, that was not the end of the story of flooding in
Houston for 2016--in early June another record setting rainfall led to
catastrophic flooding throughout the Houston area.
At the beginning of this month Houston once again was flooded and
another Disaster Assistance request was submitted to the White House.
I am grateful to the President and the great work of those at the
Department of Homeland Security who worked tirelessly to help people
after both events.
I spoke on the House Floor several times over the last six weeks
about the floods and the suffering caused by the waters that came
through our communities--damaging homes, our schools, places of
business, and our places of worship.
I am gratified that the House approved my amendments to The Energy
and Water Appropriations Act which will help facilitate the $3 million
needed to fund the Army Corps of Engineers' Houston Regional Watershed
Assessment flood risk management feasibility study.
The Energy and Water Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (H.R.
5055) provides that the Secretary of the Army may initiate up to six
new study starts during fiscal year 2017, and that five of those
studies are to consist of studies where the majority of the benefits
are derived from flood and storm damage reduction or from navigation
transportation savings.
My discussion on the House floor about Jackson Lee Amendment with
Chairman Simpson and Ranking Member Kaptur of the Energy and Water
Appropriations Subcommittee made a compelling case and legislative
record that the Houston Regional Watershed Assessment Flood Risk
Management Feasibility study is most deserving to be selected by the
Secretary of the Army as one of the new study starts.
The Energy and Water Appropriations Act is still under consideration
in the House, and I continue to work with my colleagues in moving this
important effort forward.
The Houston Regional Watershed Assessment study is critically needed
given the frequency and severity of historic-level flood events in
recent years in and around the Houston metropolitan area.
The purpose of the Houston Regional Watershed Assessment is to
identify risk reduction measures and optimize performance from a multi-
objective systems performance perspective of the regional network of
nested and intermingled watersheds, reservoir dams, flood flow
conveyance channels, storm water detention basins, and related Flood
Risk Management (FRM) infrastructure.
Special emphasis of the study, which covers 22 primary watersheds
within Harris County's 1,756 square miles, will be placed on extreme
flood events that exceed the system capacity resulting in impacts to
asset conditions/functions and loss of life.
The Federal government should not run every aspect of our lives--but
it is an umbrella on a rainy day--it is a shelter in a powerful storm.
The Federal government is help when no other source of help can meet
the challenges we may be facing is sufficient.
It takes all sectors of a community to effectively prepare for,
protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate against any
disaster.
We come together as community--we come together as Houstonians--we
come together as Texans and yes--we come together as Americans to
provide support, help and assistance to each other during difficult
times.
This is a difficult time for many in our city of Houston.
Some of those who were hit hard by the flood are here tonight, but
there are many others who suffered losses who were not able to be here.
I ask that you take material with you to share with your neighbors,
friends, family, and co-workers who had flood damage or economic
impacts due to the flood, but were not able to join us tonight so that
they can get the help they may need to recover from the historic
flooding.
You may qualify for FEMA Individual Assistance grants of up to
$33,000 from the federal government, and low-interest disaster loans
from the U.S. Small Business Administration.
An estimated 240 billion gallons of water fell in the Houston area
over a 12 hour period, which resulted in several areas exceeding the
100 to 500 year flood event record.
The records on floods are based upon the time period of rain fall,
the location of the rain fall, and the duration of the event over a
watershed.
The areas that experienced these historic rain falls in April were
west of 1-45, north of I-10, and Greens Bayou.
An estimated 140 billion gallons of water fell over the Cypress
Creek, Spring Creek, and Addicks watershed in just 14 hours.
The flooding problems in the Houston area are frequent, widespread,
and severe, with projects to reduce flood risks in place that are
valued at several billion dollars.
Recent historical flooding in the region was documented in 1979,
1980, 1983, 1989, 1993, 1994, 1997, 2001 (Tropical Storm Allison),
2006, 2007, and 2008 (Hurricane Ike).
In 2015, the Houston and surrounding area experienced widespread
historic flooding; and again two weeks ago we saw significant flooding
damage and loss of life during the 12 hour flood event from April 17-
18, 2016.
On June 6, 2016, I held a tour of the flood damage in Houston, Texas
with the President and CEO of The American Red Cross Gail McGovern:
Following the flooding in April I worked with FEMA and the city of
Houston to provide housing to those left homeless by the flooding in
April.
Organized a Houston area delegation letter to appropriators to fund a
study.
Sent letters to appropriators on the impact of flooding on the region
and requested that a similar effort to deal with storm surge be
undertaken for the upper Texas Gulf Coast.
On March 10, 2016, I held what is likely one of the first
Congressional events to raise public awareness regarding Zika Virus and
to ascertain the needs of local and state agencies who would be
responsible for responding to the threat.
On June 1, 2016, CDC reports are there are 1,732 confirmed Zika cases
in the continental United States and U.S. Territories.
Cases of the Zika Virus have been reported in every state in the
United States except Alaska; Idaho; North Dakota; South Dakota; and
Wisconsin.
At that meeting I called for the following directives to happen:
1. Establish a national task force to discuss the Zika virus;
The First meeting of the Task Force occurred on Tuesday, June 7,
2016.
Other objectives that I outlined included:
2. Creation of public service messages explaining what the word DEET
means and why it is important to protect yourself with insect
repellant;
3. We must make sure that untreated mosquito bed netting is available
to women and girls in high risk areas;
4. Post posters in all public hospitals highlighting the dangers of
the Zika virus and how one can protect themselves from the Zika virus;
5. Hold a MAJOR briefing in Houston with officials from the CDC
regarding the Zika virus;
6. Conduct a Houston/Harris County Public service campaign to inform
the community about traveling to Zika Virus mosquito borne infected
regions around the world; and
7. We must secure public and private funds to cleanup illegally
dumped tires and other debris where mosquitos may breed near people.
We must also rethink how testing is conducted for the Zika Virus.
Dr. Peter Hotez, Dean of the School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor
College of Medicine recommends that an aggressive testing and disease
surveillance approach be adopted for areas of greatest risk along the
Gulf Coast like the city of Houston.
Sub-tropical climate;
Areas of Extreme Poverty;
Presence of the most threatening Zika Virus carrying mosquitoes the
Aedes Aegypti;
Mosquito breeding conditions that are supportive of spread of the
disease from travelers who come to the Houston area with the illness.
The CDC guidance for persons who seek testing for the disease should
allow for greater testing in areas that have these conditions along the
Gulf Coast from Texas to Florida.
Mosquito surveillance along the Gulf Coast is not even nor as well-
resourced as it once was due to budget cuts and a lack of concern
regarding mosquito borne disease, which has greatly reduced capacity
and competence in this critical area.
The mosquito that carries Zika Virus is known as the greatest killer
of people--it is also known as the yellow fever mosquito.
This Aedes mosquito is the real threat and it must be battled from
the neighborhood level up to the county or parish level.
President Obama's request for $1.9 Billion in Zika Virus Emergency
Response Funding.
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The Senate passed a Zika Virus Appropriations of $1.1 billion, but
unfortunately the House only provided $622 million.
The Senate has called for a conference to reconcile the differences
between the two bills.
The CDC reported on May 30, 2016, that it has confirmed cases of the
Zika Virus include 279 pregnant women in the United States or U.S.
Territories.
This number is double the number of cases reported the previous week.
The CDC is reporting all pregnant women who have ``any laboratory
evidence'' of possible infection, no matter what.
The CDC made the change after seeing reports of asymptomatic pregnant
women--women with no symptoms who delivered children with known Zika
Virus birth defects.
These are sobering and troubling numbers this early in our mosquito
season.
These cases of Zika Virus include both travel related and those that
were contracted from mosquito bites.
The 13 Local Cases of the Zika Virus are all travel related thus far.
Seven cases of the Zika Virus recorded by Harris County Public Health
Environmental Services.
Six reported by the City of Houston Public Health Department Reported
cases of the Zika Virus.
We know that 4 in 5 people who contract the Zika Virus have no
symptoms.
This is especially problematic for pregnant women who may become
infected with the Zika Virus and have no symptoms.
Although the contracting of the disease is most associated with
mosquitoes it has been transmitted sexually.
This presents other challenges to Zika Virus public education and
preparedness.
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