On June 24, Senator Mark Udall (D-CO), a member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, called for the Senate to prioritize funding for natural hazard mitigation. Sen. Udall specifically highlighted the need to ensure funding for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Landslide Hazards Program’s Flash-Flood and Debris-Flow Early Warning System.

In a letter written to Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Chairman Jack Reed (D-RI) and Ranking Member Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Sen. Udall emphasized the importance of such a system in Colorado, which has suffered from recent wildfires, flooding, and related landslides. Sen. Udall credited USGS with providing critical information and aiding in emergency response.

The Demonstration Flash-Flood and Debris-Flow Early-Warning System, operated through a partnership between USGS and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), supplies residents of recently burned areas with crucial information on when flash floods and debris flows are most likely to occur. In his statement, Sen. Udall also encouraged the USGS to work with the other agencies, including the U.S. Forest Service, on the early warning system.

Sources: Senator Mark Udall, U.S. Geological Survey