White Earthquake
The White Earthquake (Spanish: Terremoto Blanco) was the name put on the cold wave and heavy snowfall that occurred through southern Chile in August 1995.
7,176 people were left isolated as result of the heavy snowfall and 3 persons died because of it.[1]
On August 2, 1995, a cold front entered southern Chile. While at the beginning the cold front seemed normal, it was soon joined by a second cold front that caused temperatures to drop drastically, below −14 °C (7 °F) in some areas, and generated large snowfalls. The snow made road transit difficult and isolated hundreds of communities in the Andes and the Patagonian plains.
The fodder stored for animals began to run out, and sheep and cows were trapped in metres of snow. The government of Eduardo Frei declared an emergency state in 24 communes initially but extended it later to encompass more than 30 communes.
Between 10,000 and 12,000 families suffered the severe effects of the White Earthquake which also buried several houses in snow. Livestock farmers suffered the worst economic effects, since they lost most of their livestock due to starving and freezing. It has been estimated that in Magallanes Region two of every ten sheep died, while in parts of Tierra del Fuego up to eight out of ten sheep died.
The emerging aquaculture industry of southern Chile also suffered huge losses with the loss of 20,000 trout and 50,000 salmon. Wildlife such as the South Andean Deer also registered high death rates.
Only by the end of August could the government clean the principal roads of snow and provide effective help to the affected zones, specially in the form of fodder.
References
- ↑ Díaz Labbé, Fernando (December 20, 2011), Nevazones Zona Sur–Regiones Biobío y Araucanía: 2011 (PDF) (in Spanish), Oficina Nacional de Emergencia del Ministerio del Interior, retrieved April 29, 2014