National Hurricane Awareness Week, 2001

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Part V

The President

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Proclamation 7443--National Hurricane Awareness Week, 2001

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Title 3--
The President

Proclamation 7443 of May 22, 2001

National Hurricane Awareness Week, 2001

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

One of the most dramatic, damaging, and potentially
deadly weather events is a hurricane. Each year on
average, six hurricanes develop over the Atlantic
Ocean, Caribbean Sea, or Gulf of Mexico. Many of these
remain over the ocean with little or no impact on the
continental United States. Unfortunately, though, on
average five hurricanes strike the United States
coastline every 3 years. These storms can cause
significant damage that can cost individuals,
businesses, and government billions of dollars. Worst
of all, however, is the loss that can never be
recovered: human life.

Currently more than 48 million people live along
hurricane-prone coastlines in the United States. The
growing number of residents living in these areas, as
well as the millions of tourists who visit our Nation's
beaches annually, has increased the difficulties in
evacuating people from areas that are threatened by an
impending hurricane. This problem is further compounded
by the fact that a large majority of people living in
these areas have never experienced the force of a major
hurricane and its devastating impact.

Increasingly, many Americans have begun working to
ensure that commonsense measures are implemented to
protect themselves and their property from natural
disasters including floods, tornadoes, and earthquakes.
Their foresight, hard work, and respect for the awesome
power of nature often yields great benefits for their
communities. They are to be commended for this
preventive work, and we should learn from their example
as we plan for future disasters.

All Americans must be more vigilant about preparing for
disasters in advance, rather than just responding to
them after they occur. Specific actions can be taken in
advance of a storm that will further protect property,
help to ensure that businesses are able to resume work
quickly after a storm, and ultimately save lives. In
addition, the Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA) estimates that for every dollar spent in damage
prevention, two are saved in repairs.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's
(NOAA) researchers and forecasters continue to improve
the accuracy of hurricane warnings that enable
residents to evacuate and emergency personnel to
effectively respond well in advance of the storm's
arrival. In addition, FEMA and NOAA have focused their
resources toward encouraging community leaders to work
with Federal, State, and local agencies, as well as
volunteer agencies, schools, the private sector, and
the news media to collectively undertake activities
that diminish the destruction of natural disasters. For
hurricane-prone areas, these measures can include
residents stockpiling emergency provisions, learning
evacuation routes, installing hurricane shutters,
building residential safe rooms and community shelters,
adopting stronger building codes, and retrofitting
existing buildings. These measures have proved
effective, and I encourage citizens living in these
areas to look for ways that they can better prepare
themselves and their communities to reduce the
potential devastating impact of these storms.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the
United States of America, by virtue of the authority
vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United
States, do hereby proclaim May 20 through May 26, 2001,
as National Hurricane Awareness Week. I call upon
government agencies, private organizations, schools,
news media, and residents in hurricane-prone areas to
work towards the prevention of needless storm damage
and to join me in raising awareness of the hazards
posed by hurricanes.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
twenty-second day of May, in the year of our Lord two
thousand one, and of the Independence of the United
States of America the two hundred and twenty-fifth.

(Presidential Sig.)B