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Rising waters in Alaska’s Juneau spark urgent evacuations ahead of historic flood

13 August 2025 13:47

A long-anticipated annual glacial outburst flood began impacting Alaska’s capital, Juneau, as the Mendenhall Glacier’s ice-dammed lake burst its barrier, sending floodwaters rushing toward the Mendenhall Valley.

Local officials issued warnings on August 12, urging residents to prepare for rising waters expected to peak in the afternoon of August 13 at a record 16.6 feet, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

“We are prepared for this situation. We’ve been preparing for this situation,” said Sabrina Grubitz, public safety manager for the Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska and commander of the unified local government task force managing the response.

Since 2011, floods caused by meltwater overtopping the icy dam at Suicide Basin have become an annual occurrence. However, with accelerating ice melt due to climate change, recent floods have grown more severe, damaging homes and eroding riverbanks. Last year’s flood damaged over 290 homes, prompting local authorities to install semi-permanent HESCO flood barriers in vulnerable neighborhoods. These walls have yet to be tested in a real flood scenario.

Ryan O’Shaughnessy, director of emergency programs for the City and Borough of Juneau, urged residents in the most at-risk zones to evacuate voluntarily. “We strongly encourage everyone in the 17-foot inundation layer to evacuate their homes sometime today. There’s no need to rush out of neighborhoods, but we encourage folks to take a moment, take a deep breath, remember that they have a plan. This is something that we’ve been planning for as a community. Grab their go bag, let their family and friends know where they’re going, and then execute that,” he said.

Assistant Chief Sam Russell of Capital City Fire/Rescue warned against standing on barriers or approaching flood zones. “I know everybody wants to see what’s going on, but we have cameras that are posted on the website, and you’ll be able to observe from there other things that are going on,” he added.

Governor Mike Dunleavy issued a state disaster declaration, mobilizing resources to support local and tribal efforts to safeguard lives and property. As of August 12 afternoon, popular trails and campgrounds near Mendenhall Glacier were closed, although the visitor center remained open.

With the floodwaters rising steadily, meteorologist Nicole Ferrin of the National Weather Service cautioned that the crest could vary slightly but emphasized the severity: “I should note that we’re already at minor flood stage, and this will be a new record based on all of the information that we have.”

By Vafa Guliyeva

Caliber.Az
Views: 517

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