If you think Chair Peak was bad ... Missoula. MT

Snowboarder sets off slab that runs all the way into town destroying two houses and burying 3 people:

Missoula avalanche

Except they were at home minding their own business

Wow, what a shit for brains. Homeboy is really lucky he isn't looking at 3 counts of manslaughter.

"But it was just a small peak near town." -Moron

Surprised that in that area (potentially loaded slopes dangerously close to folks in runout zone..) "experts" didn't consider mitigating the potential for a devastating slide (is that called avalanche control?).

I grew up in Missoula.  Saying an avalanche went off of Mount Jumbo is kinda like saying an avalanche ran off of Cougar Mountain... It isn't near town, its in town, as the report indicates... Amazing that there was that much snow that low...

Thanks for the perspective, Samuraijr.

The citizens there have established a fund for the rebuilding of the homes, and ones affected by this avalanche.

No, it's across the highway....Rattlesnake Canyon.

I'm visiting in Missoula and looking at right now. Sounds like quite a dump. Lots of towns in the West have homes in similar areas.

the snow or the town?
b

Snowboarder sets off slab that runs all the way into town destroying two houses and burying 3 people:
Missoula avalanche

I don't know the particulars but an alternative title for the article might be: "Town people locate their homes in avalanche path, two houses destroyed and three people buried."

DC, perhaps, but more accurately -- "Town people locate their homes in 100 year avalanche path, two houses destroyed and three people buried." As a former local, and speaking to friends still there, there has never been that much snow in that region in recent (e.g., 50+ year) memory. The locals are used to placing homes in beautiful treed mountains that sometimes burn, along amazing trout streams that sometimes flood.

Not unlike Washington locals building houses in areas prone to 500 year volcanic lahars, above earthquake fault lines, or near ocean cliffs that sometimes slide.

One of the hazards of living the good life.

JR