Item: SNOW, RAIN, AND AN EARTHQUAKE: A MASSIVE AVALANCHE CYCLE IN TAJIKISTAN AND AFGHANISTAN PAPER REFERENCE
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Title: SNOW, RAIN, AND AN EARTHQUAKE: A MASSIVE AVALANCHE CYCLE IN TAJIKISTAN AND AFGHANISTAN PAPER REFERENCE
Proceedings: International Snow Science Workshop 2024, Tromsø, Norway
Authors:
- Douglas Chabot [ Aga Khan Agency For Habitat ]
Date: 2024-09-23
Abstract: In Central Asia avalanches primarily affect houses, villages, and valuable livestock versus recreational users. To protect lives and property, the Aga Khan Agency for Habitat (AKAH) developed an avalanche safety network for this region that includes avalanche forecasting, search and rescue teams, and community emergency response teams. This network was put to the test in February 2023. A powerful winter storm hit Tajikistan and Afghanistan from February 13-21, 2023. Nine straight days of snowfall dropped over one meter in the valleys and more than double that in the starting zones. The snow fell onto a depth-hoar dominated snowpack and triggered hundreds of slides. A mid-storm rain event triggered even more avalanches and flooded homes and villages. To make matters worse, on February 17, a 4.6 magnitude earthquake in northern Afghanistan likely triggered more slides. Snow, rain, and an earthquake coupled with a weak snowpack produced a historic avalanche cycle. During the avalanche cycle, observers at 36 Weather Monitoring Posts (WMPs) recorded 593 avalanches. These WMPs are a cornerstone of AKAH’s avalanche forecasting program. Every morning a person measures snowfall, snow depth, max and min temperatures, rainfall, and avalanche activity. The sites for these WMPs were specifically chosen because of the avalanche threat to the area. Villages surrounding these sites were trained in avalanche fundamentals and avalanche rescue. The day before the storm I issued an Avalanche Alert for southern Tajikistan and northern Afghanistan while working as an avalanche forecaster for AKAH. They informed the public through in-person warnings, texts, social media, and mosques. They evacuated 1,024 households and several homes were subsequently destroyed by avalanches. Unfortunately, since many homes and villages are located in runout zones, loss of life was inevitable. Sadly, 38 people died, 35 were injured, 84 homes were destroyed or damaged (including a school), and 333 livestock were killed. However, these numbers were much lower than the 148 people who perished during a large avalanche cycle in this region in 2012. While any death is tragic, AKAH’s avalanche safety network saved lives.
Object ID: ISSW2024_O10.3.pdf
Language of Article: English
Presenter(s): Douglas Chabot
Keywords: AKAH, avalanche, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, WMP
Page Number(s): 1332 - 1335
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