Avalanche Safety for Kids
An avalanche---large amounts of snow sliding rapidly down a mountain---is serious business. According to the National Geographic website, an avalanche can move at up to 80 miles per hour within five seconds of taking off. This gives children little time to get out of harm's way. Instructing kids what to do if they are caught in one of these huge snow slides will increase their chances of survival.
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Avalanches and Avoidance
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Wind and other elements cause snow to pile in layers. When an avalanche happens, an entire slab of snow slides off the layer below it and begins sliding. As it slides, it picks up anything in its path, including trees, people and rocks. If you see an avalanche coming toward you, don't panic. Instead try to get out of the way as quickly as possible. Depending on the distance and direction the avalanche is moving, you might be able to avoid getting taken along.
Beware of March
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Warmer days in March increase the chance of avalanches. March is one of the worst months for avalanches because the weather is getting warmer and most areas have experienced numerous storms that have generated large amounts of snow. The weight of the melting snow increases the stress on the layers, which prompts the sliding. Children who are skiing and snowboarding should stay in official ski areas, since these areas control hazards professionally by using explosives and compacting the snow.
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Buddies
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Always go out with at least one other buddy. Children should ski with a buddy. If an area looks risky, they should go one-by-one and keep an eye out for signs of an avalanche. If one buddy becomes buried, the other can call for help and start digging the other out, being careful not to get caught in an avalanche him or herself.
Tools
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Always carry safety equipment in a backpack in avalanche territory. Both the child and the buddy should carry a small shovel and a probe so if a partner gets buried, the other can try to dig him or her out. Skiers can purchase shovels that fold and store in a backpack easily. It's also important for each buddy to wear an avalanche rescue beacon. If you get buried, the avalanche rescue beacon will send out a signal so rescue parties can determine your location.
If an Avalanche Catches You
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Don't panic if an avalanche carries you away. If you are swept away by an avalanche, attempt to grab onto a tree as you are sliding. Your goal is to get to the surface of the snow if you get buried. Dig a small space around your mouth and then spit. Because of gravity, the spit will go down. You want to go up, so start swimming your way up to the surface in the opposite direction of which the spit fell.
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References
- Photo Credit avalanche image by miki from Fotolia.com Layers image by Carol Hyman from Fotolia.com sun image by Sfetcu Andrei from Fotolia.com cross-country skiing in the Russian Kola-Peninsula image by Lars Lachmann from Fotolia.com two skiers in the mountains on the finish image by Daria Miroshnikova from Fotolia.com avalanche a plainjoux 2009 image by Acidmaxx from Fotolia.com
