FEMA Director to Visit Mississippi Flooding and Kansas Tornado Damage
Release Date: April 25, 2001
Release Number: HQ-01-026
Washington, DC -- President Bush's concern about the rising waters of the Mississippi River turned into a directive this week for FEMA's Director Joe M. Allbaugh to get a firsthand look. Allbaugh is scheduled to tour parts of Illinois and Iowa threatened by the flood waters on Thursday. It will be his second visit this month to a flood-threatened area of the country.
"We are very concerned about the water and what it could do," Allbaugh said. "It will take a while for the water to go down and time before we can assess the damage." Allbaugh will visit the Quad Cities, meet with officials and residents, and be available to the media.
Also on Thursday, Allbaugh will visit Hoisington, Kansas, where a strong tornado swept through neighborhoods last week, shattering homes and leaving some residents dead or injured.
Allbaugh, who grew up in the Tornado Alley state of Oklahoma, is well aware of the devastation from and fear of tornadoes. While in Kansas, he will stress the need for residents to consider building safe rooms in their homes.
He is also concerned about the continuing need for residents to be aware of tornado threats and warned of impending storms.
"People need to keep an eye on the sky and an ear tuned to the forecasts and warnings - for their protection and those of their loves ones," he said. "After all, nothing is more important than family."
This trip marks the fourth time that Allbaugh has visited disasters sites in his short tenure as FEMA's new director. He has already visited the Washington State earthquake site and the fire damage in Los Alamos, New Mexico.
Last Modified: Friday, 17-Oct-2003 09:23:44