CLICK THE CLOCK:
Countdown to Hurricane Season

With many areas of the country still shaking off the chill of winter, it’s hard to believe that hurricane season is right around the corner. However, the official start of the 2009 Atlantic Hurricane season is a mere two months away.

Visit www.protectingamerica.org for a real-time countdown to hurricane season, news, legislative updates and preparedness tips. Click the clock to tell members of Congress that you want action now, before the next hurricane makes landfall.

While legislators around the nation are working on solutions to prepare and protect your homes and families against the onslaught of catastrophe, there is plenty that you can do today to make sure you’re ready for the unthinkable. The National Hurricane Center offers valuable tips and guidelines following to help you get started.

MOMENTUM BUILDING IN TEXAS:
SIGNIFICANT MOTION ON TEXAS STATE CATASTROPHE FUND

Sen. Juan 'Chuy' Hinojosa	Rep. Craig Eiland

Support continues to grow for a strong public/private solution to prepare and protect Texas residents from the devastation of massive hurricanes and other events through legislation to create the Texas Catastrophe Fund.

Texas state Representative Craig Eiland (D-Galveston) and state Senator Juan 'Chuy' Hinojosa (D-Mission) recently introduced HB 2487, a measure to establish, fund and operate the Texas Natural Disaster Catastrophe Fund and the Disaster Preparedness and Mitigation Grant Council. The bill is expected to be heard before the Texas House Insurance Committee in April.

Houston Chronicle Endorses State Catastrophe Plan

The Houston Chronicle endorses a state catastrophe fund in the March 25 editorial:

In its messy wake, Hurricane Ike left us a clear message: Category 3 or stronger storm winds will come this way again, perhaps soon. Prepare well for them and do so without delay.

And so we pay heed — shoring up infrastructure and buildings, and cleaning out bayous so flood waters will flow more smoothly.

But some of this work is more nuanced. It must get done in Austin, where Gulf Coast area legislators are pressing the case for better preparedness.

A major component of these efforts is the Texas Catastrophe Fund, put forward by state Rep. Craig Eiland, D-Galveston, and state Sen. Juan 'Chuy' Hinojosa, D-Mission…

COALITION MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

ProtectingAmerica.org Welcomes New Members:
Texas Association of Builders and the
Texas Department of Public Safety Officers Association

ProtectingAmerica.org is pleased to welcome the Texas Association of Builders and the Texas Department of Public Safety Officers Association as members of the nation’s leading coalition of first responders, catastrophe experts, individuals and businesses concerned with how America is prepared and protected from catastrophe.

We applaud these organizations for recognizing that immediate action is needed in the Texas Legislature and the US Congress to prepare our nation physically and financially for the next major catastrophe. Each group brings a unique voice to the coalition that supports and enhances our call for a comprehensive catastrophe management solution.

PROTECTINGAMERICA.ORG IN THE NEWS
Birmingham News and Houston Chronicle

Opinion editorials by ProtectingAmerica.org co-chairs James Lee Witt and Admiral James Loy appeared in the Birmingham News on March 15 and the Houston Chronicle on March 21.

In each piece, the co-chairs described the states’ unique vulnerability to hurricanes and catastrophe, and the ProtectingAmerica.org management solution.

Read the Birmingham News opinion editorial.