Proceedings, International Snow Science Workshop, Breckenridge, Colorado, 2016 THE MOST DISASTROUS AVALANCHE EVENTS IN AUSTRIA SINCE 1946/47 Peter Höller* Austrian Research Centre for Forests, Department of Natural Hazards; Innsbruck, Austria ABSTRACT: Avalanches are one of the principal natural hazards in alpine regions, resulting frequently in disastrous accidents. In this paper accidents with 5 or more than 5 fatalities were defined as a disastrous event. Taking into account this definition, 47 disastrous avalanches occurred in the last 70 years. These 47 events claimed 474 fatalities. The events with the highest number of fatalities occurred in Blons (1954) where two huge avalanches within 9 hours reached the village and killed 56 inhabitants, and in Galtür (1999) where 31 people lost their lives. Both events rank to the so-called ‘catastrophic avalanches’. The most serious `tourist avalanche‘ took place in 1982 near to Werfenweng where 13 skiers have been killed. The most recent event was an accident in the Wattener Lizum with 5 fatalities which occurred in February 2016. While `catastrophic avalanches´ generally are correlated with heavy snowfall, `tourist avalanches´ can be associated not only with new snow but also with a weak snowpack and increasing temperatures. The decreasing trend in the case of `catastrophic avalanches´ undoubtedly is a result of the high standard of technical protective measures in Austria; however, fatalities caused by ‘tourist avalanches’ predominated in the last 35 to 45 years which can be explained by a rising number of skiers and mountaineers. KEYWORDS: avalanche accidents, avalanche fatalities, avalanche history 1. INTRODUCTION 2. AVALANCHE ACCIDENTS IN AUSTRIA In order to indicate an avalanche accident as a During the last 70 years, approximately 2000 disastrous event the number of fatalities, the persons have been killed by avalanches in Austria, number of destroyed buildings, or the resulting which corresponds to about 30 fatalities per year. costs can be used. With respect to an earlier paper While the vast majority of avalanche accidents of the author (Höller, 2009) we defined accidents caused one or two fatalities, 47 events were with 5 or more than 5 fatalities as a disastrous identified with each 5 or more than 5 fatalities. In event. total these accidents claimed 474 fatalities. Taking into account the preceding definition, The events with the highest number of fatalities 47 disastrous avalanches occurred in the last 70 occurred in Blons (1954) where two huge years, including both ‘catastrophic avalanches’ avalanches within 9 hours reached the village and [‘catastrophic avalanches’ are naturally triggered killed 56 inhabitants, and in Galtür (1999) where 31 and are able to affect settlements and people lost their lives. Both events rank to the so- developed areas (de Quervain, 1972)] and ‘tourist called ‘catastrophic avalanches’. The most serious avalanches’ [‘tourist avalanches’ primarily are ‘tourist avalanche’ took place in 1982 near to triggered by skiers and generally occur in the Werfenweng where 13 skiers have been killed. backcountry and off-piste (de Quervain, 1972)]. The most recent event was an accident in the This analysis is based on own inquiries as well as Wattener Lizum with 5 fatalities which occurred in on Fliri (1998), Haid (2007) and Schott (2005). February 2016. Due to limited space the paper will give only a brief The following table (Tab.1) gives an overview outline of the most outstanding events; more about these events. information can be found in Höller (2015). ________________________________________ *Corresponding author address: 3. OUTSTANDING EVENTS – A BRIEF OUTLINE Peter Höller Hofburg - Rennweg 1 The winter 1950/51 was – together with 1953/54 – A - 6020 Innsbruck, the period with the most victims. The historical AUSTRIA records list nearly 300 fatalities (135 in 1950/51 Tel: +43 512 573933, fax: +43 512 573933 5250 and 143 in 1953/54). The two most serious e-mail: [email protected] accidents in 1950/51 occurred in Heiligenblut 410 Proceedings, International Snow Science Workshop, Breckenridge, Colorado, 2016 Year Date Federal State Community Site Type Fatalities 1947 April 5 Steiermark St. Ilgen Hochschwab - G‘hackte T 6 1947 Dec. 22 Salzburg Dienten Oberholzlehen C 6 1949 July 21 Tirol Prägraten Simonyspitzen T 5 1951 Jan. 20 Tirol Tux Magnesitwerk C+ 9 1951 Jan. 21 Tirol Hippach Schwendberg C 10 1951 Jan. 21 Tirol Sölden Untergurgl C 7 1951 Jan. 21 Kärnten Heiligenblut Lawine Weiße Wand C 12 1951 Jan. 21 Kärnten Mallnitz Dösental C 5 1951 Jan. 21 Salzburg Bad Gastein Kötschachtal C 14 1952 Feb.11 Vorarlberg Mittelberg Hoher Ifen C++ 20 1952 March 21 Tirol Galtür Lareintal C+ 7 1952 Dec. 20 Tirol Wildermieming Felderjöchl T 5 1952 Dec. 22 Vorarlberg Klösterle Passürtobellawine C 24 1954 Jan. 11 Vorarlberg Blons Falvkopf-Lawine C 34 1954 Jan. 11 Vorarlberg Blons Mont Calv-Lawine C 22 1954 Jan. 11 Vorarlberg Sonntag Lochbrunnenlawine C 6 1954 Jan. 11 Vorarlberg Fontanella Stelli-Lawine C 8 1954 Jan. 11 Vorarlberg Hittisau Sippersegg-Lawine C 7 1954 Jan. 11 Vorarlberg Bartholomähberg Montjolalawine C 15 1954 Jan. 12 Vorarlberg Dalaas Muttentobellawine C 10 1955 Dec. 5 Salzburg Kaprun Ebmattenlawine C+ 15 1956 Jan. 28 Vorarlberg Klösterle Valfagehrjoch-Schindlerrinne T 6 1956 April 18 Tirol Finkenberg Hornkees T 8 1963 March 31 Tirol Grinzens Kemater Alm T 9 1964 March 2 Tirol St. Leonhard Aufstieg Braunschweigerhütte T 6 1965 March 2 Salzburg Untertauern Weißlahn C 14 1965 March 29 Tirol Matrei i. Osttirol Felbertauern-SüdportalK*++ C+ 6 1968 Jan. 27 Vorarlberg Klösterle Bazzig-Lawine C 8 1973 Feb. 4 Tirol Gerlos Brunellkopf T 10 1973 Feb. 27 Salzburg Bad Gastein Radhausberg-Blumfeld C+ 6 1973 April 11 Tirol Sölden SchalfkogelLawine T 5 1974 Dec. 21 Tirol Kitzbühel Steinbergkogel TT+ 9 1974 Dec. 31 Vorarlberg St. Gallenkirch Schmalzberg-Nova-Lawine T+ 12 1975 March 31 Kärnten Mallnitz Lubitzgrabenlawine C 8 1975 May 9 Tirol Tannheim Vilsalpsee T++ 5 1977 Dec. 31 Salzburg Lofer Loferer Hochtal T 8 1978 May 1 Tirol St. Leonhard Mittelbergferner T 5 1982 Jan. 31 Salzburg Werfenweng Wengbachgraben T 13 1987 April 5 Tirol Ischgl Greitspitze T+++ 6 1988 March 13 Tirol St. Anton Wolfsgrubenlawine C 7 1988 March 28 Tirol Galtür Jamtal T 6 1999 Feb. 23 Tirol Galtür Wasserleiter Lawine C 31 1999 Feb. 24 Tirol Ischgl Riefenbach Lawine C 7 1999 Dec. 28 Tirol Galtür Jamtal T 9 2000 March 28 Salzburg Niedernsill Schmiedinger TT+++ 12 2009 May 2 Tirol Sölden Schalfkogel T 6 2016 Feb. 6 Tirol Wattenberg Geier T 5 Tab. 1: Disastrous avalanche events in Austria in chronological order. C… catastrophic avalanche, C+…avalanche towards an alpine construction area (road works, construction site of a power station…), C++…avalanche towards a mountain hut, T… tourist avalanche (backcountry), T+…avalanche within ski area, T++…avalanche towards a hiking trail, T+++…avalanche in the off-piste area. 411 Proceedings, International Snow Science Workshop, Breckenridge, Colorado, 2016 (federal state of Carinthia) with 12 fatalities (one The most serious accident on an open road dated path of the avalanche reached several buildings at from December 1952. Near to Langen am Arlberg the eastern entrance of the village – see Fig. 1) (Vorarlberg) a fully occupied bus was hit by an and near to Bad Gastein (Fig.2) where a couple of avalanche(Fig. 3); 24 passengers have been killed. farm houses were destroyed (14 fatalities). Fig. 3: Buried bus in the river Alfenz (Photo: Voralberger Landesarchiv, BH Bludenz) 13 months later (Jan. 1954) the federal state of Vorarlberg was again affected by many avalanches. After a long-lasting period of warm and sunny weather which continued until Christmas 1953, the snowpack at the beginning of January 1954 did not even reach 15 cm (Dobler, 1982). However, between Jan. 9 and Jan. 11, 1954 a north westerly oriented frontal zone led to high new snow depth in the northern part of the Fig. 1: Avalanche-ravaged east entrance of Austrian Alps, in particular in Vorarlberg. Heiligenblut (Photo: Archive Verbund) The first disaster occurred in Blons, where two huge avalanches within 9 hours reached the village and killed 56 inhabitants (Fig. 4). Fig. 2: Destroyed farm houses near to Bad Gastein Fig. 4: One of many affected buildings in Blons (Photo: Archive Gasteiner Museum) (Photo: Archive Eugen Dobler) 412 Proceedings, International Snow Science Workshop, Breckenridge, Colorado, 2016 In the evening of the same day (Jan. 11) an At the beginning of March 1965 a tragic accident avalanche reached the community of took place on the road to Obertauern (federal state Bartholomähberg and destroyed 6 residential of Salzburg) when an avalanche hit a passing bus buildings (15 fatalities). whereby 14 person have been killed. On the following day (Jan. 12) an avalanche damaged the railway station of Dalaas (Fig. 5) and December 1974 was characterized by two claimed 10 lives (Fig. 5). avalanche accidents in ski areas, which caused an intensive discussion about adequate avalanche control programmes. The first was on Dec. 21 near to the Steinbergkogel (community of Kitzbühel) where 9 skiers have been killed (Fig. 7); the second occurred 10 days later in the ski area Silvretta Nova with 12 fatalities. Fig. 5: Destroyed railway station in Dalaas (Photo: Archive Nesensohn-Vallaster) One of the first backcountry accidents occurred in April 1956. Eight skiers were hit by an avalanche in the valley bottom near the Hornkees (Zillertal - Tirol). The avalanche had an outstanding extent (Fig. 6); the deposited snow was up to 10 m. All eight members of the group have been killed; three buried humans were found in July. Fig. 7: Rescue team in the Steinbergkogelrinne (Photo: Korn, Stadtarchiv Kitzbühel) The most serious accident in the backcountry took place in January 1982 when - under the direction of a mountain guide - a group of students and their Fig.