Federal response to Midwest flooding : hearing before the Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight of the Committee on Public Works and Transportation, House of Representatives, One Hundred Third Congress, first session, October 28, 1993

United States. Congress. House. Committee On Public Works And Transportation. Subcommittee On Investigations And Oversight

Sujets

• Floods
• Middle West
• Flood control
• Emergency management

Informations

• Publié par: les_archives_du_savoir
• Nombre de lectures: 30
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 10 Mo

Extrait

7^3
TO MIDWEST FLOODINGFEDERAL RESPONSE
-^(c/i / — .> (103^2)
, IPtfy
HEARING
THEBEFORE
OXSUBCOMMITTEE
AND OATIRSIGHTIM^STIGATIOXS
OF THE
ONCOMMITTEE
AND TRANSPORTATIONPUBLIC WORKS
REPRESENTATIVESHOUSE OF
CONGRESSHUNDRED THIRDONE
FIRST SESSION
OCTOBER 28, 1993
of thePrinted for the use
and TransportationCommittee on PubUc Works
ncooonnov
JUL 1 5 1994
i
PRINTING OFFICEU.S. GOVERNMENT
: 1994WASHINGTON
the Government Printing OfficeFor sale by U.S.
Documents, Congressional Sales Office, Washington, DC 20402Superintendent of
ISBN 0-16-04A093-93
TO MIDWEST FLOODINGFEDERAL RESPONSE
^^(o/ir. -^. (103-12)Ptf.
HEARING
BEFORE THE
SUBCOMMITTEE OX
AND OA^RSIGHTIM^STIGATIOXS
OF THE
COMMITTEE ON
TRANSPORTATIONWORKS ANDPUBLIC
OF REPRESENTATIVESHOUSE
CONGRESSONE HUNDRED THIRD
FIRST SESSION
OCTOBER 199328,
Printed for the use of the
Committee on PubHc Works and Transportation
ncononnov
JUL 1 5 1994
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICEU.S.
WASHINGTON : 1994
For sale by the U.S. Government Printing Office
Superintendent ofDocuments, Congressional Sales Office, Washington, DC 20402
0-16-0A4093-9ISBNCOMMITTEE ON PUBLIC WORKS AND TRANSPORTATION
NORMAN Y. MINETA, California, Chair
Minnesota BUD SHUSTER, PennsylvaniaJAMES L. OBERSTAR,
West Virginia WILLIAM F. CLINGER, Jr., PennsylvaniaNICK J. RAHALL II,
Ohio THOMAS E. PETRI, WisconsinDOUGLAS APPLEGATE,
Virgin Islands SHERWOOD BOEHLERT, New YorkRON DE LUGO,
Pennsylvania JAMES M. INHOFE, OklahomaROBERT A. BORSKI,
North CaroUna BILL EMERSON, MissouriTIM VALENTINE,
IlUnois JOHN J. DUNCAN, Jr., TennesseeWILLIAM O. LIPINSKI,
West Virginia SUSAN MOLINARI, New YorkROBERT E. WISE, Jr.,
Jr., Ohio WILLIAM H. ZELIFF, Jr., New HampshireJAMES A. TRAFICANT,
Oregon THOMAS W. EWING, lUinoisPETER A. DeFAZIO,
WAYNE T. GILCHREST, MarylandJIMMY HAYES, Louisiana
Tennessee JENNIFER B. DUNN, WashingtonBOB CLEMENT,
Illinois TIM HUTCHINSON, ArkansasJERRY F. COSTELLO.
Mississippi WILLIAM P. BAKER, CaUfomiaMIKE PARKER,
GeorgiaTexas MICHAEL A. "Mac" COLLINS,GREG LAUGHLIN,
GEREN, Texas JAY KIM, CaUfomiaPETE
SANGMEISTER, Illinois DAVIDA LEVY, New YorkGEORGE E.
POSHARD. Illinois STEPHEN HORN, CaUfomiaGLENN
SWETT, New Hampshire BOB FRANKS, New JerseyDICK
CRAMER, Alabama PETER I. BLUTE, MassachusettsBUD
CaliforniaBARBARA-ROSE COLLINS, Michigan HOWARD P. "Buck" McKEON,
ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON, District of JOHN L. MICA Florida
MichiganColumbia PETER HOEKSTRA,
New YorkLUCIEN E. BLACKWELL, Pennsylvania JACK QUINN,
JERROLD NADLER, Nevkr York
SAM COPPERSMITH, Arizona
LESLIE L. BYRNE, Virginia
MARIA CANTWELL, Washington
PAT (Patsy Ann) DANNER, Missouri
KAREN SHEPHERD, Utah
ROBERT MENENDEZ, New Jersey
JAMES E. CLYBURN, South CaroUna
CORRLNE BROWN, Florida
NATHAN DEAL, Georgia
JAMES A BARCLA, Michigan
DAN HAMBURG, California
BOB FILNER, CaUfomia
WALTER R. TUCKER, CaUfomia
EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON, Texas
PETER W. BARCA, Wisconsin
investigations and oversightSubcommittee on'"'i,,
BORSKI, Pennsylvania, ChairROBERTA
JAMES M. INHOFE, OklahomaBARBARA-ROSE COLLINS, Michigan,
JOHN J. DUNCAN, Jr., TennesseeVict Chair
MOLINARI, New YorkROBERT E. Wist, Jr., West Virginia SUSAN
WILLL\M H. ZELIFF, Jr., New HampshireLUCIEN E. BLACKWELL, Pennsylvania
WAYNE T. GILCHREST. MarylandLESLIE L. BYRNE, Virginia
- P. BAKER, CaUfomiaA BARCIA, Michigan.JAMES , ;
PennsylvaniaPlLNER,.JGaUfomia • BUD SHUSTER,eOB :fr---
PETER W. BARCA, Wisconsin (Ex Officio)
GLENN POSHARD, IlUnois
(VACANCY)
NORMAN Y. MINETA, CaUfomia
(Ex Officio)
(II)CONTENTS
TESTIMO^fY
Page
Ecker, Rear Adm. William J., Chief, Office of Navigation and Waterway
13Services, United States Coast Guard
Management Division, Rep-Gordon, Ellen, Administrator, Iowa Emergency
48resenting the State ofIowa Preparedness and Preven-Makris, James L., Director, Chemical
Waste and Emergency Response, U.S. Environmentaltion, Office of Solid
Carol Kather, Flood Coordinator, RegionProtection Agency, accompanied by
44VII, U.S. E.P.A
County Supervisor, Story County, Iowa, on behalf of theMathison, Fred,
National Association of Counties, and the Iowa State Association of Coun-
60ties
Plunk, John, Acting Director, Illinois State Emergency Management Agency .. 48
Schwendemann, Eugene, C, County Executive, St. Charles County, Missouri,
accompanied by Gary O. Schuchardt, Director, St. Charles County Emer-
gency Management Agency 60
Tidball, Bill, Chief of Staff, Federal Emergency Management Agency 13
Slater, Hon. Rodney, Administrator, Federal Highway Administration, U.S.
Department of Transportation, accompanied by Rose A. McMurray, Acting
Administrator, Research and Special Programs U.S. De-
partment of Transportation 13
AgencyUhlmann, Jerry B., Director, Missouri State Emergency Management 48
Whitfield, H.L. (Bud), Scott County Disaster Services, Davenport,
lA 60
Williams, Lt. Gen. Arthur, Commander, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, ac-
Civil Works, U.S.companied by Maj. Gen. Stanley Genega, Director of
Army Corps of Engineers 27
Management Agency (FEMA) . 2Witt, James Lee, Director, Federal Emergency
BY MEMBERS OF CONGRESSPREPARED STATEMENTS SUBMITTED
7Barcia, Hon. James A., of Michigan
12Blackwell, Hon. Lucien E., ofPennsylvania
11Costello, Hon. Jerry L., of Illinois
9Danner, Pat, ofMissouri
PREPARED STATEMENTS SUBMITTED BY WITNESSES
71Ecker, Rear Adm. Williaun J
Gordon, EllenM 84
Makris, Jim 91
Mathison, Fred L 100
Plunk, John 106
Schwendemann, Eugene C 114
Slater, Rodney E 124
Uhlmann, Jerry B 175
Whitfield, H.L. (Bud) 187
Williams, Lt. Gen. Arthur E 193
Witt, 203James Lee
(III)IV
Page
SUBMISSIONS FOR THE RECORD
Costello, Hon. Jerry L., a Representative in Congress from Illinois:
Statement ofHon. Dennis M. Knobloch, Mayor, City ofVsilmeyer, IL 39 of Hon. Dan Reitz, Chairman, Randolph, IL Board of Commis-
sioners ^oMIDWEST FLOODINGRESPONSE TOFEDERAL
OCTOBER 1993THURSDAY, 28,
Representatives,U.S. House of
Investigations and Oversight,Subcommittee on
Works and Transportation,Committee on Public
DC.Washington,
in roompursuant to notice, at 10 a.m.,The subcommittee met,
Borski (chair-Office Building, Hon. Robert A.2167, Rayburn House
presiding.man of the subcommittee)
review the perform-The subcommittee today willMr. Borski.
Agency and otherFederal Emergency Managementance of the
of hundreds of thou-agencies in responding to the needsFederal
from the enormous andwho faced the devastationsands of people
Mississippi basin.flooding in the upperunprecedented
nine States being declaredflooding resulted in part or all ofThe
test of the new leadershipdisaster areas and was an earlyFederal
theinteragency cooperation inteam at FEMA and the new spirit of
Executive Branch.
butonly for the Federal agencies,This high-stakes test was not
requiredlocal levels who werefor those at the State, county, and
vic-agencies and deal with floodcoordinate with all the otherto
tims on the front line.
the perform-numerous hearings onThis subcommittee has held
for im-We have made recommendationsance ofFEMA in the past.
have beenperformance, some of whichprovement in the agency's
adopted.
outstandingpreliminary accounts, FEMA did anThis time, by all
responsecoordination, and timelyjob of providing the leadership,
clear thatof their Government. It isvictims of disaster expect
long andFEMA director, has used hisJames Lee Witt, the new
produce a re-relief programs tovaluable experience in disaster
agency's performance.markable turnaround in the
working withon the State levelMr. Witt has years of experience
Mis-be done to respond to theFEMA and he knew what had to
con-knew that the response must besissippi flood. Above all, he
continuinglocal officials on aducted in coordination with State and
basis.
nec-administrative stepsMr. Witt has already taken the first
ofbecoming a more effectiveessary to move FEMA in the direction
question that more is needed,response agency. There is nodisaster
we stand prepared to assist Mr. Witt.and
testimony on how FEMAuse this hearing to receiveWe intend to
effort differed from eventsand how this disaster reliefresponded
widespread criticism ofprevious years, which resulted in theof
(1)FEMA's performance. We will also hear about the important role
of the Department of Transportation, Corps of Engineers, and the
Guard, well emergencyCoast as as State management agencies.
Over the longer term, we will be working with our colleagues on
the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment on legisla-
tion to improve the disaster relief program, not just for disaster re-
sponse but also for recovery, preparedness, and mitigation.
We have learned in recent years, disaster by disaster, just how
important our Federal relief effort is to the victims of disaster. It
appears that the Mississippi River flooding marks a major step for-
ward in the effort to provide disaster victims with assistance in
their time of greatest need.
I now yield the distinguishedto ranking member, Mr. Inhofe.
Mr. Inhofe. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Today's hearing is an important one and I comm