Which level would destroy a village or 40 ha forest?

• A. Relatively harmless to people
• B. Injure/bury/kill a person
• C. Destroy a village or 40 ha forest
• D. Bury/destroy a car or house

Answer: (C)

In avalanche analysis, the level describes how large an avalanche could be and what it could damage. The most destructive end of the scale corresponds to an event capable of wiping out a village or clearing tens of hectares of forest. That level implies a massive avalanche, not just something that might trap or injure individuals, but one that could devastate buildings, roads, and large forested areas over a wide area. The other options describe progressively smaller impacts: a slide relatively harmless to people, a slide that could injure or bury a person, and a slide that could bury or destroy a car or a house. So the description of destroying a village or 40 hectares of forest fits the largest-category level.