A day away from the one-year anniversary of Hurricane and Tropical Storm Harvey in Port Arthur, U.S. Rep. Randy Weber, R-Friendswood, emphasized the importance of being able to respond quickly in the aftermath of a natural disaster.

Speaking in a facility that was flooded during the Aug. 29 storm, Weber told a Greater Port Arthur Chamber of Commerce luncheon that we all have something in common in wanting to help one another.

“After Harvey, the firefighters we talked to were from Colorado,” he said. “They were asking, ‘What is this gumbo? We really like that.’ I told them that we are accepting applications for Southeast Texas.”

Weber praised first responders for their work during Harvey.

“We watched emergency response crew who went above and beyond the call of duty time and time again,” Weber said. “They were unbelievable. I tell people this all of the time. My district is the greatest district.

“We have farmers and ranchers. We’ve got refineries and beaches. We have coastlines. We have people that love to fish, hunt and they work. They raise their families here. They go to church here. It doesn’t get any better than life here.”

Weber talked about the importance of hazard mitigation grant projects aimed at lessening the future impact of storms on the area.

“It’s not if we get another hurricane; it’s when,” he said.

Federal funding doesn’t flow quickly enough, Weber said.

“Many of y’all know that,” he said. “It just takes too long to get the money in our hands. Your congressman has had dozens of meetings with local and state administration officials.”

Weber said that he was able to talk to the president about the impact Harvey had on the area.

“I actually had a chance to ride in the back of a limousine with President Trump when he came down to visit the victims of the Santa Fe shooting,” Weber said. “I was able to tell him about what we do down here. I was able to tell him about the kind of energy we produce and the kind of things we do for our military. I was able to tell him about the things the port does.”

Weber said he told Trump how important our port is, stating that it is the second longest waterway in the Gulf Coast area.

“We are an energy-driving hub for Texas and the rest of the United States,” Weber said. “We’re doing our best to make sure we get back on our feet and stronger than we were before.”

Weber said that he understood the importance of small businesses and helping the 800,000 businesses affected by Harvey.

“Small businesses are the backbone of the economy,” he said. “Of those 800,000 business, 600,000 are self employed, and 110,000 of those have fewer than 10 employees.”

Weber said that history shows that after a disaster like Harvey, 40 percent of small businesses never reopen.

“Of the 60 percent that reopen, only 29 percent are still in business after two years,” he said. “Those are tough stats to hear and we are making sure we can prevent that in the future. Recovery has been a long road and we still have a long ways to go.”

After the luncheon, Weber talked to constituents and posed for pictures with other local officials.

Weber is seeking reelection against Democratic nominee Adrienne Bell and Libertarian nominee Don E. Conley III in the Nov. 6 General Election.