Barbara Mikulski: “I rise to support S. 2238, the Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2004. I want to thank Senator Sarbanes, my colleague from…”

“I rise to support S. 2238, the Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2004. I want to thank Senator Sarbanes, my colleague from Maryland and a member of the Banking Committee that pushed this legislation through. Senator Sarbanes and I worked together as 'Team Maryland' to ensure that this legislation addressed many of the lessons learned in the aftermath of Hurricane Isabel. In September 2003, my State of Maryland was devastated by Hurricane Isabel. This was the worst natural disaster in Maryland history. The people who live on the Chesapeake Bay and the many rivers leading into the Bay lost their homes, their possessions, and many lost their livelihoods. The flooded communities have names like Bowleys Quarters and Millers Island, Bayside and North Beach, Kent Islands and Hoopers Island. The people who live in these communities are hard-working people. Many are retirees who scrimped and saved to buy these homes. Some are people I went to school with. Many of these communities are still struggling with the legacy of Isabel. Some Marylanders are still living in trailers which are really glorified campers.”