By Gallego H.C.R. No. 288 Line and page numbers may not match official copy. Bill not drafted by TLC or Senate E&E. HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 1-1 WHEREAS, August 1998 will long be remembered by the citizens 1-2 of Del Rio and Val Verde County, for the torrential rains that 1-3 ravaged that region, and the unprecedented flooding that followed, 1-4 caused loss of life and property that continues to affect countless 1-5 Texans; and 1-6 WHEREAS, This tragic occurrence resulted in the deaths of at 1-7 least nine individuals, while many others were separated from their 1-8 families during the flooding for extended periods of time, causing 1-9 great distress among the area's residents; in addition, hundreds of 1-10 homes were destroyed, damaged, or swept from their foundations, 1-11 leaving many families bereft of shelter and cherished personal 1-12 possessions; and 1-13 WHEREAS, Del Rio citizens were without potable water for 1-14 nearly eight weeks following the flooding, which contaminated the 1-15 city's underground water source and forced the city's 34,000 1-16 residents to rely on bottled water for cooking and drinking; and 1-17 WHEREAS, The flood, which reached widths of nearly one mile 1-18 in places, rose from the Rio Grande and submerged entire 1-19 neighborhoods in Del Rio and neighboring Ciudad Acuna; and other 1-20 border cities and towns also experienced the dramatic effects of 1-21 the wall of water as it followed the river-border's path to the 1-22 Gulf of Mexico, leaving massive destruction in its wake; and 2-1 WHEREAS, Although it is difficult to look back on this event 2-2 with anything other than sorrow and awe, this natural disaster did 2-3 help to forge the strength and faith of the numerous individuals 2-4 who joined together in an effort to save their fellow citizens and 2-5 to provide much-needed aid and assistance; and 2-6 WHEREAS, Tales of altruism abound, as family members, 2-7 neighbors, and volunteers sacrificed their personal safety in 2-8 heroic life-saving attempts, some of which ended in tragedy, but 2-9 most of which concluded in triumph; lives were lost and property 2-10 was destroyed, but the many brave Texans who battled the forces of 2-11 nature have once again demonstrated the resolve and determination 2-12 for which our state's citizens are known; and 2-13 WHEREAS, Adversity will often bring out the best in people, 2-14 as our innate survival and nurturing instincts pour forth and 2-15 envelop those around us who are suffering or in need, and it is 2-16 these traits that provide a glimpse of what we can be and what we 2-17 should aspire to be: friends, helpers, neighbors; and 2-18 WHEREAS, In addition to the federal emergency management 2-19 agencies and volunteers, some 1,600 individuals from nearly 50 2-20 state, federal, and private agencies and entities assisted during 2-21 the worst of the flooding and in its devastating aftermath; among 2-22 the groups that responded to the victims' distress were the Texas 2-23 National Guard, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Texas 2-24 Department of Transportation, the Texas Department of Criminal 2-25 Justice, Texas Task Force-One, the American Red Cross, the 2-26 Salvation Army, the United States Border Patrol, Lutheran Disaster 3-1 Response Services, and representatives of the City of Del Rio and 3-2 Val Verde County; and 3-3 WHEREAS, Other organizations and agencies that contributed 3-4 include the office of the attorney general, the United States 3-5 Public Health Service, the Texas Water Development Board, the Texas 3-6 Forest Service, the Texas Department of Housing and Community 3-7 Affairs, the General Services Commission, the Texas Department of 3-8 Health, the Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental 3-9 Retardation, the United States Army Corps of Engineers, the United 3-10 States Air Force, the National Park Service, the City of 3-11 Floresville Water Department, the Civil Air Patrol, the Texas 3-12 Natural Resource Conservation Commission, the Disaster Medical 3-13 Assistance Team (Tx-1), Del Rio Recovers, AmeriCorps, Southern 3-14 Baptist Disaster Relief, and the sheriff's departments of Jeff 3-15 Davis, Midland, Victoria, and Terrell Counties; and 3-16 WHEREAS, All those associated with these public-spirited 3-17 organizations, as well as the many other noteworthy groups that 3-18 contributed vital assistance, are truly worthy of our highest 3-19 respect and admiration; these individuals possess not only the 3-20 can-do spirit of humanity, and their actions and deeds are indeed 3-21 deserving of special legislative recognition at this time; now, 3-22 therefore, be it 3-23 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 3-24 prepared for the citizens of Del Rio and Val Verde County in 3-25 commemoration of the outpouring of love and concern kindled by this 3-26 natural disaster and as a tribute to the lives of our fellow Texans 4-1 who perished during the terrible flood.