Series of storms buries Europe in snow; motorists & tourists trapped, at least 17 killed

Friday, January 11, 2019

A series of storms have blanket Eastern and Northern Europe in deep snow, killing at least 17 people over a week.  The tourists in Austrian alpine villages are stranded as roadways are blocked. The storms have trapped motorists in their vehicles in Germany. Most of the deaths were due to avalanches.

More than 100 people have been evacuated from Norway’s Arctic Svalbard islands as a precaution from approaching storm and the risk of avalanches.

Many areas are at the highest threat level. The risk of avalanches rises with every foot of snow that carpets Europe.

The bad weather is causing problems in parts of Austria, southern Germany, Norway, Switzerland and Romania. Several railway lines in the Alps were closed because of the snow, while trucks and cars were stuck for hours on a highway in southwestern Germany and schools closed in parts of Bavaria.

Here are some of the reported incidents. An avalanche in the Mala Fatra Mountains killed 37-year-old Slovak man. A 16-year-old boy from Australia was killed in an avalanche in St. Anton am Arlberg as he was skiing with his family. A 62-year-old teacher was killed while skiing in Austria.

In the Czech Republic, around 9,000 households were without electricity on Thursday after heavy snow in regions bordering Germany and Austria.

Some ski resorts have reported up to 7 feet of snow in higher elevations, forcing some resorts to close. The storm, snow, and avalanches threat continue creating more trouble for tourist and travellers.

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