Ileana Ros-Lehtinen: “Mr. Speaker, Hurricanes Felix, Dean, and Henriette delivered a devastating toll to the countries of Mexico, the rest of…”

“Mr. Speaker, Hurricanes Felix, Dean, and Henriette delivered a devastating toll to the countries of Mexico, the rest of Central America, and the Caribbean. Between the three hurricanes, nearly 200 lives were lost, hundreds of thousands of people were displaced, and thousands of homes were destroyed. I join my colleagues today to express our sincere sympathy and support for the people who have suffered as a result of these destructive storms. The resiliency of the people of these nations to overcome the tremendous power of these catastrophes has been truly tested. When Hurricane Felix hit on September 4, Honduras and Nicaragua were still in the midst of rebuilding following the effects of Hurricane Mitch in 1998. Especially vulnerable to natural disasters due to their dependence on agricultural exports and the potential for damaging mudslides, the historic occurrence of two category 5 storms in 1 year had an overwhelming impact for several of the countries in this region. I commend the courage that our neighbors in Mexico, the rest of Central America, and the Caribbean continue to demonstrate in their efforts to overcome the damage wrought, and I admire the courage and the contributions made by relief agencies, private citizens, and the international community to assist in the aftermath of Hurricane Felix, Hurricane Dean, and Henriette.”