Sen. Carper Commends Local, State and Federal Efforts to Lessen Impact of Hurricane Irene

WILMINGTON – Today, Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) was briefed by Delaware Emergency Management Agency officials on the effects of Hurricane Irene. He commended the efforts made by state and federal workers who helped Delaware prepare and now clean up after the storm. Following the briefing, he joined Gov. Jack Markell and Lt. Gov. Matt Denn to visit the home of Mr. Jack Holloway, which was damaged by a tornado during the storm, followed by a tour of the Prime Hook and Greenwood areas of Sussex County.

“Today, I had the chance to be briefed by federal, state and local emergency preparedness personnel, as well as the Governor and his staff, to learn more about the effects of Hurricane Irene on the three counties in Delaware. I am grateful that visitors and residents of the coastal and flood-prone areas complied with the Governor’s order to evacuate early. This helped us lower the risk of injuries and fatalities. I also had a chance to thank the hundreds of people working with FEMA that came to Delaware from all over the country and as far away as Washington State to help see us through this storm. These local, state and federal emergency responders continue to do an incredible job in this effort.

“We are thankful that the storm was not as destructive as it might have been but we know that many Delawareans have been impacted and we will be working as a team with the Governor and federal agencies to assess damage and make sure assistance is provided to all in need. Last night, the President signed an emergency disaster declaration for Delaware to provide federal assistance. Right now, FEMA is working with the state to determine the specific needs.

“I was especially pleased to hear that our beach renourishment efforts played a major role in protecting homes and communities along our ocean beaches. While I understand that there was some breaching caused by high water and wind, the major cities and towns were protected by the dunes and additional sand provided by our federal and state funded renourishment projects over the past five to 10 years.”

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