Some Recent Floods From Glacial Lakes In Nepal

Published March 2, 2012 10:18AM (EST)

Some major floods unleashed in Nepal when mountain lakes fed by melting glaciers burst their banks:

September 1977: An outburst from Nare Lake, below Mount Ama Dablam, kills three people and wipes out several bridges.

June 1980: A flood from overflowing Nagma Pokhari, once a small pond in Hungu Valley near Mount Everest, floods farms and houses along a 44-mile (71-kilometer) stretch of riverbed.

August 1985: An ice avalanche sends Dig Tsho lake water cascading downriver, killing at least five people and destroying farms, a hydropower station and 14 bridges. It also washes away large sections of the Everest trekking trail.

July 1991: Floodwaters from Chubung Lake in Rawaling, central Nepal, kill one person and damage homes and farmland.

September 1998: An ice avalanche hits Tam Pokhari lake, launching a wave over the banks that inundates villages below and kills at least two people. Six bridges and large tracts of farmland are washed away.


By Salon Staff

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