AVALANCHES

If you’re like most kids, you probably love snow. Who does not love to build snowmen? Even though it is fun to play with, snow can also be dangerous. You’ve probably heard your parents talk about how difficult it can be to drive in snow. Automobile accidents aren’t the only dangers created by snow, though. If you’re ever skiing in the mountains, you’ll want to be aware of the possibility of avalanches. An avalanche is a sudden flow of snow down a slope , such as a mountainside. Many different things can cause avalanches. Some of them are natural. For example, new snow or rain can cause an avalanche. Earthquakes and the natural movements of animals are also among the possible natural causes. Artificial triggers can also cause avalanches. For example, snowmobiles, skiers, gunshots and explosives have all been known to cause avalanches. Avalanches usually occur during the winter and spring. In addition to being dangerous to any living beings in their way, avalanches have destroyed forests, roads, railroads and even entire towns. Although avalanches occur suddenly, with the help of warning signs, experts can predict and often prevent them from occurring. Explosives can be used in places with massive snow build-ups to cause smaller avalanches that don’t create a danger to people. If you find yourself buried under snow, you might not have a true sense of which way is up and which way is down. Some avalanche victims have unknowingly tried to dig their way out, only to find that they were upside down and find themselves digging further under the snow rather than to the top! Experts suggest that people caught in an avalanche try to “swim” to the top of the moving snow to stay as close as possible to the surface. Once the avalanche stops, do your best to dig around you to create a space for air, so you can breathe more easily. Then do your best to figure out which way is up and dig in that direction to reach the surface and signal rescuers.