| Comments | The Battery, St. John's Harbour NL, February 16, 1959. A severe storm hit St. John's with winds of up to 220 km/h and left 55 cm of snow on the ground. An avalanche struck two houses and swept them down the slope, hitting two other houses. Over 50 rescue workers and residents worked for 12 hours, digging through the snow and the debris to free trapped residents. In the Outer Battery, another avalanche (caused by the same storm) buried a house that withheld the weight of the snow. The strong structure protected the residents; however, they were trapped until dug out by rescue workers. This was the second avalanche to affect The Battery in 40 years. Inspection of the slopes has shown that a rockfall risk exists, and that The Battery is frequently affected by rockfalls. The City of St. John's has recently constructed safety fences to protect against rockfalls and avalanches in the Outer Battery area. |