Beware of avalanches

Avalanches in winter often occur in the vicinity of the city of Ridder.
Accumulated snow on the slopes of the mountains, under the influence of its own mass, as well as a sharp increase or decrease in temperature, heavy snowfall, rain or wind, breaks down at a speed of 20-30 m / s.

Significant amounts of snow mass sliding down steep mountain slopes are a dangerous natural phenomenon and pose a serious threat to all life on its way. 
Being in the mountains, remember about safety, watch for changes in the weather, avoid places of possible avalanches. Most often this happens on the open slopes of mountainous terrain, in logs.

You should not cross gullies with a slope of more than 30 degrees, and after a snowfall - gullies of more than 20 degrees can be crossed only after a few days. It is dangerous in the mountains if there has been a heavy snowfall, if the slope is smooth, without forest planting, illuminated by the sun, and the snow is wet and heavy, there is subsidence or snow movement.

In bad weather conditions, it is better to stay at home.
An avalanche can be initiated by loud screams, a gunshot or pressure on the snow of one person - a skier, a snowboarder. So, in February 2021, a tragedy occurred in the area of the Sergikhinsky Belok mountain range, which claimed a human life. When riding a snowmobile, a snow layer was cut, which triggered an avalanche, as a result, the tourist was under a snow mass and died before help arrived.
In our region, the peak of avalanche danger falls on March and April. At this time, the danger of avalanches is very high.

In order to prevent accidents in mountainous areas, injury and death of people associated with avalanches, the Office of Emergency Situations of the city of Ridder does not recommend going to the mountains during this period.
In case of an emergency, it is necessary to inform the unified dispatch service by phone 112 and take measures to eliminate the emergency situation.

 

UCHS G. Ridder