00:00:07.240 - 00:00:48.620

68 smashing. How do you do, Ladies and gentlemen, in recent weeks, our state has suffered the ravages of two devastating hurricanes. Cleo first and then Dora. We hope we don't have any more. They left the state pretty severely hit. And the federal government has many facilities with which it can give aid to the people of our state and the counties of our state occurred to me that I should invite over for this occasion.

00:00:49.040 - 00:01:03.550

The director of the Office of Emergency Planning. I think it's called Mister Ed McDermott, who has been in our state looking over the damage. Have him tell us what he thinks about the situation and what it is that he's recommended be done by the federal government.

00:01:04.340 - 00:01:24.260

Very good. Well, as you know, Senator, we were together in Florida last Friday with President Johnson, at which time we made a survey of the damages to the coastal area down as far as ST Augustine and north to the Georgia border. And I came back up to ST John's River by helicopter and we made an inspection of the damage in that area.

00:01:24.740 - 00:01:41.610

My people have been in the state of Florida since the day after Labor Day, and they have been in close touch with this situation and have been furnishing us with reports every two hours since the storm struck. The damage is very great, of course. Is the people directly affected?

00:01:41.610 - 00:02:06.840

No. This is the worst combination of hurricanes to strike Florida in this century and that the damage is very extensive. The federal assistance will be substantial, and we hope immediately. I wonder if you could tell us how much money. Thus far, you have recommended that the federal government put up for the assistance of the various communities in Florida well as a result of the first hurricane, Hurricane Cleo.

00:02:06.850 - 00:02:34.970

On September 8th, President Johnson, on my recommendation, declared nine Southeastern Florida counties eligible for federal assistance, and we have allocated $300,000 for eligible projects under that declaration. Now Dora is another storm and well and involved another declaration by the president on September 10th, where presently Senator, completing the surveys in the field to determine the extent of eligible damage.

00:02:34.970 - 00:02:50.300

And while I cannot give an accurate figure, I would estimate that our initial allocation will be in the vicinity of $3 million for the eligible counties as a result of Dora. Now, would you tell us what form of the money will go out? But to whom can it go?

00:02:50.300 - 00:03:19.660

And what path does it follow? Well, under the Federal Disaster Assistance Act, Senator, we are authorized to reimburse the state and local governments for the cost of repair and restoration of damaged, essential public facilities and structures. The key word here is public. This program does not provide for direct grants to private citizens or to property owners or to business property owners.

00:03:19.840 - 00:04:10.060

But we do go in and restore the streets and bridges. We restore the publicly owned utility systems. We can also provide all of the assistance necessary for debris clearance, which of course, is very important from a health and safety standpoint. Uh, the Public Health Service can provide health protective services such as the typhoid shots that are currently being given in the live oak area as a result of the flooding there, uh, we will, through the Corps of Engineers, be restoring and repairing damage to the resentments into the seawall ball and two areas of the beach where Sirius Beach erosion has occurred and that, of course, in those areas that are publicly owned and controlled, is there not some government agency that will give some relief to a private business?

00:04:10.060 - 00:04:28.460

For example, if that private business has lost its location, say that's that's correct, Senator. When the president declares a major disaster, the counties that are affected by that declaration then become eligible, and the citizens in those counties become eligible for a variety of special federal programs.

00:04:29.040 - 00:04:57.260

Individual property owners, whether they be homeowners or business property owners, will be eligible for Small Business administration loans. Now, these are long term, low interest rate loans made to property owners for the rehabilitation of their property. In addition, the Department of Agriculture has authority under this presidential declaration to make emergency loans to farmers into ranchers into, uh, poultry raisers and so on.

00:04:57.340 - 00:05:10.070

Fine. Our time is up. I would say to you people, if any of you do have any problems in this connection, you can write to our office. We'll be glad to transmit your letter on to Mr McDermott here and see if we cannot give you some relief.

00:05:10.080 - 00:07:09.940

Thank you very much for being with us. I've been hearing from you so often. I think I'm a member of your staff. This last week. We'll keep you that way. Thank Mr McDermott. Word does it appear to you that the greatest damage has occurred from both these storms.

00:07:09.950 - 00:07:36.630

Cleo and Dora? Well, of course, there's been extensive damage, Senator, all along the coastal area extending from Miami all the way north. As I said to the Georgia border, however, there's also extensive damage in communities in northern Florida, inland communities and in northwestern Florida. We are particularly concerned today with problems in the live oak and Lake City area, where there has been very extensive flooding.

00:07:36.880 - 00:07:58.850

Pardon me. Very extensive flooding. Because of the low lying nature of those communities. There are problems on the discharge of floodwater, and we're working very diligently with that now, through the corps of Engineers. Mr. McDermott, can you tell us exactly what are you doing for the recovery of these people now?

00:07:58.860 - 00:08:22.390

Well, a number of federal agencies are active Senator. The Office of Emergency Planning has opened a Florida disaster office in Jacksonville to service the applicants. That is, the governmental entities, local communities that were affected by Dora. We have also opened an office in West Palm Beach to service applicants as a result of Cleo.

00:08:23.040 - 00:08:54.860

In addition to that, the Corps of Engineers has sent a special team of survey specialists into Florida who are working with my personnel to complete a survey of all damage to determine eligibility for federal disaster assistance. The Small business Administration that, as I indicated will be making loans to qualified applicants, has opened a special loan office in Jacksonville, and it has augmented its personnel in Florida to ensure rapid and expeditious processing of those loans.

00:08:55.340 - 00:09:18.050

Public Health Service has a special team in Florida that they're working with communities like Lie Bulk, where there are health problems as a result of damage to public water systems and so on. The Department of Agriculture is there at our request, doing extensive work in the rural areas of northern Florida, working first of all on the problem of commingled cattle.

00:09:18.380 - 00:09:41.450

As a result of the flooding, there has been a commingling of livestock herds until those cattle are separated and returned to their rightful owner. We are making feed grains available from Commodity credit Corporation stocks. The Department of Agriculture is also setting up offices to process emergency loans to farmers under their independent authority.

00:09:42.010 - 00:10:00.930

The American Red Cross, which, as you know, was so active during the active periods of the storm, still has augmented personnel in Florida ministering to the personal needs of those who lost their homes or were otherwise grossly inconvenienced by the storm. So there's been a substantial federal response.

00:10:00.940 - 00:10:32.850

A number of federal agencies are active, and they're all operating very closely and cooperatively with state and local authorities under the coordination of the Office of Emergency Planning. Now, let me ask you this question. We've received a large number of letters and telephone requests from the people in the live Oak Lake City area wanting to know if possibly some office could be opened up there rather than in Jacksonville, or whether or not you might have somebody over in that area on a permanent basis, whom they might contact without having to make this trip.

00:10:33.340 - 00:11:00.270

Well, that possible? Yes, As a result of my discussions with you yesterday, Senator uh, we dispatched a special team of corps of engineer representatives to the live oak area to get to work on this surface water problem and By the end of this week, I will have a special representative in both live Oak and Lake City to work with property owners and the mayor and other authorities there in connection with their problems.

00:11:00.440 - 00:11:15.880

We will, to the extent of available manpower, have personnel wherever they are needed. I might add that we have already sent disaster specialists into Florida from our other regional offices around the country. Now. One other question. And then I see that our time will be up.

00:11:16.030 - 00:11:32.600

You mentioned the Corps of Engineers. What is it that the corps of engineers can do? Can they actually go into an area and remove a, say, a big tree or dig a revetment or closer resentment that has developed on somebody's private property? Are they permitted to do things of that character?

00:11:32.610 - 00:11:51.250

Well, normally, Senator work is limited to restoration of damage to public properties. But where debris clearance is necessary from a health and safety standpoint, or where action on private property is needed to meet a public requirement, the corps of engineers, under our instruction can do that with the permission of the property owner.

00:11:51.250 - 00:12:15.160

Of course, that would mean that where streets have been blocked off and have not thus far. Even after this late date, after the hurricane been cleared that they could call in the corps of engineers to help them clear the street. That is correct, sir. And also, the cities or municipalities can incur whatever expenses reasonably necessary for that purpose through private contractors and that will be eligible for reimbursement.

00:12:15.540 - 00:12:33.210

Thank you very much. Mr Ed McDermott, the director of office emergency planning. I certainly appreciate this information. And I know the people of Florida due to in the wonderful job, which you're doing Well, thank you, sir. We will continue to give it our closest attention. And my contacts with you the last week have been so frequent that I feel I'm a member of your staff now.

00:12:33.270 - 00:12:41.840

Thank you. Yeah.