Upgraded Lahar System Funded by the Feds

A lahar is a mud flow that comes off of a volcano. Think of the pictures from Mount St. Helens erupting in 1980 with what looked like rivers of concrete flowing rapidly downstream. Pierce County, Wash., has scored a few bucks to improve their lahar warning system. You might compare the current one to being held together with tin cans and bailing wire. It looks to detect a lahar coming off Mount Rainier, an active volcano and the most dangerous volcano in the United States.  

Now there will be new funding to upgrade the system. My son's family lives in the path of the lahar so I'm all for a better warning system. But, I do have to say that earmarks don't exist anymore, but funding for specific projects does seem to continue to flow; though, not as rapidly as a lahar.

Quoting from a Pierce County News Release:

Upgraded equipment will better protect citizens in the Puyallup River Valley

The Pierce County Department of Emergency Management (PCDEM) has received $1 million in federal funding for the first phase of upgraded equipment for the Mount Rainier Lahar Warning System (LWS). The current system is functioning well. However, the new funding will enable PCDEM, the United States Geological Survey (USGS), and other partners to install the technological updates needed to modernize the existing system.

The Mount Rainier LWS is part of an overall emergency communications system for Pierce County. The focus of the system is to detect volcanic and seismic activity on Mount Rainier and warn the residents in the Puyallup River Valley of the need to evacuate due to a volcanic eruption.

After the 2014 State Route 530 (Oso) Landslide in Snohomish County, Pierce County Executive Pat McCarthy asked for a risk and readiness review of the Lahar Warning System to ensure it provides as much warning as possible to the residents of the river valleys fed by Mount Rainier. The planned updates will make it possible to detect changes in the volcano and provide "early warning" of an eruption on a days-to-weeks basis.

“This is a big deal,” said Executive McCarthy. “It will help protect the more than 830,000 people in Pierce County and the nearly three million people who live in close proximity to what the USGS calls the most dangerous volcano in North America.” The executive went on to praise members of the Washington State Congressional Delegation for their efforts to secure the funding. “Congressman Kilmer and Senators Murray and Cantwell were instrumental in securing this important funding. They deserve a heartfelt thank you.”

It is anticipated that USGS and PCDEM will begin working on the project in early 2016.