WHEREAS, California has experienced a series of major winter storms commencing on December 26, 1996, that caused the worst flooding in recorded state history, and resulting in a 125-year flooding of the Tuolumne River, a 100-year flooding of the Feather and Yuba Rivers, and a 50-year flooding of the Sacramento River, with more than 30 breaks along the state managed levees, and an untold number of breaks along private levees; and

WHEREAS, The flooding has claimed at least eight lives, destroyed more than 3,000 homes and wreaked damage and havoc to many thousands more, and forced more than 100,000 people from their homes to stay in emergency shelters and in the homes of friends and relatives; and

WHEREAS, Fifty California counties have been declared disaster areas by the Governor and Acting Governor of California and by the President of the United States, and two key California highways, U.S. 50 through the Sierra to South Lake Tahoe and U.S. 395 north of Mammoth Lakes, remained closed for more than three weeks because of the need for extensive repairs, resulting in untold loss of business and damage to the livelihoods of those businesses and communities affected by this disaster; and

WHEREAS, The early damage tallies from flood-ravaged California stand at no less than $1.6 billion, with more than 1,000 businesses damaged or destroyed, with agricultural losses estimated at more than $155 million including downed livestock, ruined wheat crops, boats torn from moorings, and damage costs to the state highway system estimated at no less than $50 million; and

WHEREAS, Many thousands of California citizens devoted tireless hours and tremendous resources, braved perilous conditions, and even placed their own lives at risk to protect the lives and properties of their fellow Californians; and

WHEREAS, California’s private, nonprofit, and public sector workers, including our state, federal and local employees, especially distinguished themselves in their devotion to their duties as emergency workers or as volunteers; and

WHEREAS, The unselfish and dedicated commitment of these individuals, who work for the Department of Transportation, the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, public agencies including city and county police departments, sheriff and fire departments, emergency operations and planning, hazardous materials, public utilities and public works departments, environmental management, health departments, human and social services departments, mental health, building inspections, construction inspection, emergency medical services, sewer and water, highway maintenance, area flood control agencies, ditch maintenance, drainage and sewer, flood control, garbage and refuse collection, agricultural commissioners, and animal control departments of the affected counties, along with State of California employees including those of the Office of Emergency Services, California Highway Patrol, California Conservation Corps, Emergency Medical Services Authority, Corrections, Department of the Youth Authority, State Department of Health Services, Department of Water Resources, U.S. Corps of Engineers, National Guard, Department of Consumer Affairs, Department of General Services, Hazard Section in Office of Emergency Services, Cal EPA-OEHA, State Department of Mental Health, State Department of Social Services, and nonprofit agencies, including the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army, saved thousands of lives and helped minimize the potentially catastrophic property damage; now, therefore, be it