Montroc avalanche case study

1. Location: The small village of Montroc in the Chamonix valley
Date: 9th February 1999
Causes: January of 1999 saw very cold and dry conditions with very
little snow creating a weak base for future snow. In February, 3 days
of heavy snow and strong winds dumped over 2 metres of snow on
the slopes above Montroc.
Slopes above Montroc were over 35°
Slab avalanche travelling at 60mph brought 300,000m³ of snow towards Montroc
Impacts: 14 buildings were destroyed and 6 damaged
12 people were killed
Montroc was cut off and only accessible by air
The mayor of Chamonix was found guilty of second degree murder for failing to evacuate
Montoc in advance
Responses: Sniffer dogs, heat seeking cameras and poles used to rescue 20 people
Helicopters used their propellers to dislodge snow to reduce to reduce the risk of further
avalanches

2. Sources
http://pistehors.com/backcountry/wiki/Articles/Mo
ntroc-Avalanche
http://lhe.epfl.ch/recherche/index.php?option=co
m_content&view=article&id=14%3Aavalanches-de-
fluide&catid=15%3Adynamique-des-
avalanches&Itemid=10&lang=en
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IoWnbDmiYQ