PRINTER'S NO. 569
No. 89 Session of 2007
INTRODUCED BY MELIO, FAIRCHILD, BELFANTI, BEYER, CALTAGIRONE,
COHEN, CREIGHTON, DiGIROLAMO, DONATUCCI, EACHUS, GALLOWAY,
GEIST, GEORGE, GINGRICH, GOODMAN, GRUCELA, HENNESSEY, HESS,
JAMES, W. KELLER, KILLION, MAJOR, MANN, MANTZ, MILLARD,
R. MILLER, MOYER, MURT, MUSTIO, MYERS, M. O'BRIEN, PALLONE,
PAYNE, QUINN, RAMALEY, RAPP, READSHAW, REICHLEY, ROHRER,
RUBLEY, SAINATO, SANTONI, SAYLOR, SCAVELLO, McILVAINE SMITH,
M. SMITH, SONNEY, TANGRETTI, VEREB, VULAKOVICH, WATSON,
WILLIAMS, WOJNAROSKI, YOUNGBLOOD, DePASQUALE, MUNDY, SOLOBAY,
MARKOSEK, TRUE, COX, ROSS, HERSHEY, CONKLIN, GILLESPIE,
FRANKEL, STABACK, O'NEILL, EVERETT, CUTLER, McILHATTAN,
PRESTON AND PARKER, MARCH 6, 2007
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
MARCH 6, 2007
A RESOLUTION
1 Designating the week of March 11 through 17, 2007, as "Weather
2 Emergency Preparedness Week" in Pennsylvania.
3 WHEREAS, Each year natural disasters threaten the lives and
4 property of Pennsylvanians; and
5 WHEREAS, In 1998 severe tornadoes caused extensive losses and
6 damage to private and public property and resulted in a Federal
7 disaster declaration for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; and
8 WHEREAS, In 1999 Hurricane Floyd and Hurricane Dennis caused
9 extensive flooding in 15 Pennsylvania counties; and
10 WHEREAS, These events and others in six federally declared
11 disasters in 1996 have created very serious threats to public
12 health and safety, and recovery has strained State, county and
1 municipal resources; and
2 WHEREAS, In 2004 Tropical Depression Ivan caused extensive
3 flooding which affected more than 50 Pennsylvania counties, and
4 an F-3 tornado ripped through Campbelltown, Lebanon County,
5 where 35 houses were completely destroyed, 37 houses sustained
6 major damage and another 50 houses were significantly affected;
7 and
8 WHEREAS, In 2005 Hurricanes Katrina and Rita ravaged several
9 regions of the Gulf Coast States, and the Commonwealth mobilized
10 a number of resources to assist rescue and recovery efforts; and
11 WHEREAS, Hurricane Katrina caused isolated damage in Adams,
12 Armstrong and York Counties; and
13 WHEREAS, Of the range of natural disasters that can occur
14 across this Commonwealth, flooding is the most common; and
15 WHEREAS, Due in part to our mountainous terrain and our
16 nation-leading 45,000-mile network of rivers, creeks and
17 streams, Pennsylvania is recognized as one of the most flood-
18 prone states; and
19 WHEREAS, It is the responsibility of the Pennsylvania
20 Emergency Management Council to help State, county and municipal
21 governments prepare for and respond to these disasters; and
22 WHEREAS, Annually the Pennsylvania Emergency Management
23 Agency, with county emergency management officials and the
24 United States National Weather Service, administers a week-long
25 weather emergency preparedness program to alert citizens and
26 elected officials to severe weather-related dangers; and
27 WHEREAS, In addition to educational and public information
28 programs, a three-day Statewide exercise provides county and
29 local emergency personnel, schools, hospitals, nursing homes and
30 day-care centers the opportunity to test their emergency
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1 response plans and procedures; and
2 WHEREAS, The Pennsylvania Emergency Alert System, which
3 provides an essential communications link between government and
4 citizens during an emergency, is tested Statewide through more
5 than 400 radio and television stations as part of the week-long
6 weather emergency preparedness program; therefore be it
7 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives designate the
8 week of March 11 through 17, 2007, as "Weather Emergency
9 Preparedness Week" in Pennsylvania.
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