Avalanche — Central Gulf Coast, Alaska
April 15, 1999 · NOAA Storm Events record
Event narrative (NOAA)
A backhoe and its operator, working on a construction project for the new Cordova Electric Cooperative hydroelectric plant, were caught up in an avalanche about noon on Thursday. Snow broke loose from a steep canyon wall west of Ohmar Falls, tumbled down a 2,000 foot slope, toppling the backhoe and burying it in snow. The location of the avalanche was about 7 miles northeast of Cordova near Ohmar Falls.The cab was quickly dug out, but the body of the backhoe operator, Gary Stone, 46, was not found until Saturday. The body was found pinned between the backhoe and logs that had been used as a temporary bridge at the hydroelectric project construction site.Heavy rains had fallen on the snow during the prior 24 hours on Wednesday.
Other notable avalanche events in Alaska
Source: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database. Deaths and injuries are those NOAA classifies as direct. Damage is the reporting office's estimate at the time and is not inflation-adjusted. This is a catalogue record, not a forecast.