Issued at 9:00 AM MDT, Thursday, September 17, 2020
Issued by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
Affected Area:Morgan, Logan, Sedgwick, Phillips, Washington, Yuma, Elbert, Lincoln, Kit Carson, and Cheyenne counties. Locations include, but are not limited to Ft. Morgan, Sterling, Julesburg, Holyoke, Akron, Wray, Kiowa, Limon, Hugo, Burlington, and Cheyenne Wells.
Advisory in Effect:9:00 AM MDT, Thursday, September 17, 2020 to 9:00 AM MDT, Friday, September 18, 2020.
Washington, D.C. – Today U.S. Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO) released the following statement regarding his decision to self-quarantine after contact with a Colorado constituent who was visiting Washington, D.C. and later tested positive for coronavirus.
“I was alerted today by the Tri-County Health Department that a Coloradan who visited my Washington office for a constituent meeting has tested positive for coronavirus. While I am not showing any symptoms at this time, I have made the decision to self-quarantine out of an abundance of caution with an effective date of March 11th at the recommendation of the Tri-County Health Department. The health and safety of Coloradans and Americans across the nation is my top priority, and I will continue working to make sure Congress provides the resources needed to help combat the spread of COVID-19,” said Senator Gardner.
Senator Gardner is taking action to protect Coloradans from the COVID-19 outbreak:
On March 17, Gardner requested that the Federal Emergency Management Agency provide clear guidelines to state and local governments on the options available to them under the national emergency declaration.
On March 17, Gardner also called for additional provisions known as the American Workforce Act to support American workers and boost the economy to be included in the economic stimulus package being considered by the Senate in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.
On March 16, Gardner urged the Department of Veterans Affairs to take every precaution to ensure veterans receive quality medical care during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Congress approved $8.3 billion for the United States to prepare for and respond to the COVID-19 outbreak on March 5, with Gardner’s support.
At Gardner’s urging, the United States Trade Representative (USTR) Ambassador Robert Lighthizer removed tariffs on certain medical products that are necessary for the U.S. to prepare for the COVID-19 outbreak.
On March 4, Gardner pressed Senate witnesses about the United States’ preparedness for the COVID-19 outbreak at a hearing held by the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Aviation and Space’s hearing titled “From SARS to Coronavirus: Examining the Role of Global Aviation in Containing the Spread of Infectious Disease.”
Gardner and the entire Colorado congressional delegation sent a letter to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Wellness and Response on March 4 in support of the State of Colorado’s grant request to ensure preparedness for the novel coronavirus outbreak.
On February 28, Gardner wrote to United States Trade Representative (USTR) Ambassador Robert Lighthizer requesting USTR remove section 301 import tariffs on medical products that are necessary for the U.S. to prepare for the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.
On February 27, Gardner wrote to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Robert Redfield, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and Federal Aviation Administrator Steve Dickson requesting information regarding the United States’ domestic and international screening and prevention practices for the coronavirus with regard to countries with a growing number of hotspots.
On February 6, Gardner wrote to Senate Appropriations leaders requesting that they work with the Department of Health and Human Services to ensure robust funding for the outbreak response.
On January 31, Gardner wrote to World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros concerning Taiwan’s exclusion from the WHO and WHO-sponsored emergency briefings regarding the coronavirus.
Also on January 31, Gardner wrote to Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Azar requesting that the novel coronavirus taskforce coordinate with medical supply manufacturers to ensure that the U.S. has a medical supply strategy in place to address possible shortages in light of potential further spread of the virus.
In January after the first reports of the coronavirus were confirmed in the U.S., Gardner contacted the CDC to inquire about steps that they plan to take to contain the outbreak and work with other domestic and international agencies to develop screening practices and treatments.
Gardner also contacted the State Department with concerns about the coronavirus and its implication for global health, and China’s handling of the outbreak.
At Gardner’s urging on January 24, the U.S. Senate Committees on Foreign Relations and Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions held a briefing from top U.S. officials regarding the coronavirus.
Fort Collins ranks third nationally in per-capita Peace Corps volunteers, while Colorado State University once again ranks 15th among large universities (15,000-plus enrollment) in the number of volunteers currently serving in the Peace Corps.
Those figures, released this week by the Peace Corps from its headquarters in Washington, D.C., continue the area’s strong commitment to the international service and outreach organization that has its roots firmly planted at CSU.
“These rankings are a reflection of our history of involvement with the Peace Corps, which has led to the campus and community embracing this great organization’s mission as part of our heritage,” said Kathleen Fairfax, CSU’s Vice Provost for International Affairs. “We have faculty and staff who are former Peace Corps volunteers spread across campus, so our students benefit from active engagement with people who have already served.
“Honestly, the Peace Corps is part of our DNA, and that is reflected in these rankings.”
Fort Collins ranks only behind Charlottesville, Virginia – home of the University of Virginia – and Missoula, Montana – home of the University of Montana – in per-capita volunteers with 13.3 for every 100,000 residents. Fort Collins is the only Colorado city ranked in the top 10.
Fairfax said a large number of Peace Corps alumni live in Fort Collins and meet regularly. They actively recruit area residents to serve in the organization.
As for CSU, because of its many years of consistently ranking as a top producer of volunteers, the Peace Corps has designated two active recruiters on campus who work with both students and city residents. Erin Cubley, who served a two-year stint in Morocco from 2009-11, is working toward a Ph.D. in ecology at CSU while representing the Peace Corps.
“We have a very strong alumni group in Fort Collins that fosters awareness of the Peace Corps. I work not only with CSU students, but with area residents interested in Peace Corps service,” Cubley said. “Fort Collins is a special community where people are very engaged, so I was not surprised to learn we are ranked third.”
CSU, which currently has 48 students serving in the Peace Corps, ranks second in the state to the University of Colorado (12th overall) in the 2020 rankings; Colorado College ranks 13th among small schools (less than 5,000 enrollment). CSU is 11th all-time with 1,758 total students serving since the Peace Corps debuted in 1961.
Since its creation by President John F. Kennedy, the Peace Corps has been sending Americans with a passion for service abroad to work with international communities and create lasting change. CSU researchers Pauline Birky-Kreutzer and Maurice Albertson published a feasibility study that helped lead to the creation of the international development organization. To date, more than 220,000 volunteers have served in 60 countries.
Information about CSU’s connection to the Peace Corps is available online.
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Cory Gardner (R-CO) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Science, Oceans, Fisheries, and Weather, along with U.S. Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-MI) introduced S. 3191, the Industries of the Future Act of 2020. The legislation would advance U.S. global leadership in artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing, quantum information science, synthetic biology, and next generation wireless networks and infrastructure.
“As technology continues to evolve, bringing new opportunities and challenges along with it, it’s critical the United States plan ahead for the Industries of the Future,” said Senator Gardner. “This bill will help America prepare for new innovations and technologies that will change the world and increase the quality of life for people everywhere. I’m proud to be part of this bipartisan legislation to help ensure we remain a global leader in technology.”
“I want Wisconsin workers and businesses to be global leaders in developing the next generation of infrastructure, technology and advanced manufacturing,” said Senator Baldwin. “We must ensure that our investments into research and development today produce economic growth and job creation in the future. Our bipartisan legislation will support strong investments that will boost new, emerging industries and drive our nation’s workforce into the future.”
“Our investments in research, development, and innovation have made the United States a global leader in science and technology,” said Senator Wicker. “This legislation would support and promote the advancement of next generation technologies that will drive Industries of the Future. I thank Senator Gardner, Senator Baldwin, and Senator Peters for their contributions to this important bill.”
“We need a more coordinated approach at the federal level to ensure America is leading the world in developing advanced manufacturing, biotechnology, artificial intelligence and preparing our workforce for these industries of the future,” said Senator Peters. “America has been at the forefront of inventing new industries. This bipartisan legislation is important to maintaining our leadership, growing our economy, and protecting our national security.”
The Industries of the Future Act of 2020 would:
Require the Trump Administration to develop a report on the research and development programs of the federal government that focus on Industries of the Future.
Require a plan for doubling the baseline investments in such industries by 2022 and a plan for increasing civilian spending on Industries of the Future to $10 billion by fiscal year 2025. The bill would also require the Administration to propose legislation to implement such spending plans.
Require a Coordination Council that would better focus existing entities and require those entities to focus on advancing Industries of the Future.
An atmospheric river of moisture stretching from the tropical Pacific into the Pacific Northwest will continue to dump heavy rain and mountain snow into this weekend.
As the Pineapple Express brought a steady rain to the Pacific Northwest Thursday, both Seattle and Olympia set daily rainfall records. The cities picked up 1.32 inches and 2.17 inches respectively. As of 8 a.m. PST Friday, Olympia and Shelton, Washington, had picked up more than 4 inches of rain from the storm.
Portions of the Pacific Northwest have been experiencing a moderate drought, so the rain and snow will be beneficial. However, too much of a good thing in such a short amount of time will lead to some problems across the region.
Flood watches extend up and down the Oregon and Washington coasts through Saturday, where persistent moderate to heavy rain was falling. In Bellevue, Washington, police posted a photo of a car that was trapped in floodwaters and urged the public to not attempt driving through deep water.
A car stranded in floodwaters on a road in Bellevue, Washington. Police said the driver of the vehicle escaped unharmed, but urged the public to not take chances driving through deep water. (Bellevue Police Department).
At higher elevations, heavy snow is causing a whole different set of dangers. Across the Cascades and Olympic Mountains, winter storm and avalanche warnings are in place because several feet of snow is expected in addition to the snow already on the ground.
Satellite animation on Friday, Dec. 20, 2019, shows a plume of moisture extending from the Pacific Ocean west of Hawaii into the Pacific Northwest. (NOAA / GOES)
Olympic National Park in Washington has seen an explosion of snowfall over a 12-day period through mid-December. A webcam posted high up on Hurricane Ridge in the Olympic Mountains showed no snow-cover whatsoever as recently as Dec. 8. By Friday, Dec. 20, immense snowfall had almost entirely obscured the view from the webcam at Hurricane Ridge.
On Friday, the atmospheric firehose of rain and snow will continue to fire at the Pacific Northwest coastline, generally from Portland, Oregon, northward into Washington.
The steadiest and heaviest rain is likely to fall across the Olympic Peninsula, areas surrounding the Puget Sound and along upsloping areas of the Cascades. Through the entire rainfall event spanning from Thursday through Saturday, some areas could reach an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 10 inches.
“Widespread urban and small stream flooding are a given in a pattern such as this,” according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski.
As moisture streams into the Cascades, heavy snow is expected to pile up above 4,000 feet. By the time the event wraps up this weekend, the high country could be buried under 5 or more feet of fresh snow.
So much snow in such a short amount of time has prompted avalanche warnings across the Cascades. Skiers looking to head out and hit the fresh powder late this week and into this weekend will need to take necessary precautions to avoid falling victim to these dangerous phenomena.
While the heaviest rain will largely stay north of Oregon on Friday, southerly winds of 25-45 mph with higher gusts along the coast will prove to be difficult for those traveling along U.S. Route 101 along the Oregon coast.
Rain and snow coverage will expand southward in coverage Saturday, bringing wet weather to places like Eugene and Medford, Oregon, and into Northern California as well.
“As the jet stream shifts farther south on Saturday, the bull’s-eye for flooding rain will transfer from the Washington coast southward to portions of western Oregon and Northern California.” AccuWeather Meteorologist Mary Gilbert stated.
Travel along Interstate 5 from Seattle to Northern California will likely have weather-related issues courtesy of the persistent wet weather on Saturday.
Along with disruptions in travel across the Pacific Northwest, there is increasing concern for area rivers overflowing their banks.
This motion graphic shows the increase in snow depth across the Olympic Mountains between Dec. 8 and Dec. 20, 2019. (AccuWeather / NOAA)
“Heavy rain falling over a relatively short period will likely cause at least minor flooding issues in the region.” Gilbert said.
“In situations such as this, where snow levels rise to the intermediate elevations of the Cascades and Olympics, rapidly melting snow with heavy rain can lead to rapid rises along the short-run rivers in the region,” Sosnowski added.
Remember, if you happen to see flowing water over roadways, turn around, don’t drown.
By Sunday, the storm system bringing the plume of moisture into the Pacific Northwest is expected to track into the California coastline. As it does so, the widespread rainfall will come to an end.
As the storm system comes ashore, it will draw down colder air, lowering the snow levels across the Cascades. While only occasional snow showers will remain over the mountains by Sunday, some of those can occur under 3,000 feet in elevation. Snoqualmie and Steven’s Pass, Washington, receiving rain into Saturday could turn slippery by Sunday.
With the exception of the occasional shower along the Pacific Northwest coast early next week, conditions look to settle down in the days leading up to Christmas.
