Avalanches in the Alps Lead to Snow-Management Programs
At a glance:
- Series: Great Events from History II: Ecology and the Environment Series
- Categories: Environmental Issues, Disasters, Natural Phenomena
- Subcategories: Ecology, Environment, Conservation, Weather
- Curriculum: 20th & 21st Century European History, French History
- Geographical Location: Germany, France, Italy, Austria, Switzerland
- Date: February 10-April 17, 1970
Article abstract: In response to widespread avalanches that killed 150 people in the French region of Savoie, the Upper Rhone Valley of Switzerland, and the Austrian Tyrol, new programs of snow-hazard mitigation were designed and implemented in each country.
Summary of Event
Snow avalanche disasters in the European Alps occur in reaction to the thickness of snow cover, the prevailing meteorological conditions, and the land use at the base of slopes. Avalanches tend to follow two patterns: Every few years, weather conditions favorable to avalanching last...
[The entire page is 2567 words long]