H-1907.1          _______________________________________________

                             HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL 4017

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State of Washington              52nd Legislature             1991 Regular Session

By Representatives Wynne, Ebersole, Ballard, R. Johnson, Betrozoff, Fraser, Fuhrman, Wang, Belcher, Ferguson, May, Holland, Hargrove, Rasmussen, Zellinsky, R. King, Miller, Brough, Mitchell, Forner and Spanel.

Read first time February 25, 1991.  Referred to Committee on Local Government.Requesting a presidential disaster declaration.

     TO THE HONORABLE GEORGE BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AND TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES, IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED:

     We, your Memorialists, the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Washington, in legislative session assembled, respectfully represent and petition as follows:

     WHEREAS, Washington State received record rainfalls of up to sixteen inches in two different storm events in November 1990; and

     WHEREAS, These rainstorms brought record flooding to seven Washington river systems in November 1990; and

     WHEREAS, Governor Booth Gardner declared a State of Emergency in nineteen Washington counties; and

     WHEREAS, President George Bush signed a Presidential Disaster Declaration to cover these nineteen Washington counties; and

     WHEREAS, Washington State was hit by high winds in an unprecedented third storm event on December 26, 1990, through December 28, 1990; and

     WHEREAS, Two hundred sixty government entities in Washington State have applied for assistance under the Disaster Declaration; and

     WHEREAS, Over two hundred million dollars in private and public damage has occurred during these three storm events across Washington State; and

     WHEREAS, Governor Booth Gardner has extended the State of Emergency Declaration to cover the third storm event in December 1990; and

     WHEREAS, Governor Booth Gardner has requested that President George Bush extend the Presidential Disaster Declaration to cover this third storm event; and

     WHEREAS, Washington State citizens and government entities will experience even more hardship without the extension of the Presidential Disaster Declaration;

     NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that President George Bush extend his initial Presidential Disaster Declaration affecting Washington State, to include the third storm event of December 26, 1990, through December 28, 1990.

     BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately transmitted to the Honorable George Bush, President of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and each member of Congress from the State of Washington.