Avalanche
Bret
Fact #1
Avalanches account for only a small percentage of deaths and property damage. "Slab" avalanches (most lethal) are plates of snow sliding as a unit.
Fact #2
Each year avalanches kill more than 150 people worldwide.
Fact #3
The human body is 3 times denser than avalanche debris and will sink quickly. When the slide slows, clear air space to breathe, then punch your hand skyward. Once the avalanche stops, it settles like concrete.
Fact #4
In 90% of avalanche accidents, the victim or someone in the victim's party causes the snow slide.
Fact #5
Noise does not trigger avalanches. Avalanches are caused by four factors: a steep slope, snow cover, a weak layer in the snow cover, and a trigger.
Fact #6
Avalanche risk is at its greatest 24 hours following a snowfall of 12 inches or more.
Fact #7
The deadliest avalanche in American history was due to a train wreck in 1910. Roughly 96 people died in the incident.