Watch: Unprecedented river flooding occurring in Juneau, Alaska Takes Down Buildings

Justin Leveille
·1 min read

Unprecedented river flooding occurring in Juneau, Alaska, has led to the destruction of at least two structures and necessitated local evacuations. This catastrophic event was triggered by a sudden surge from a glacier-blocked lake, causing widespread inundation in the region, as reported by officials.

In response to the flooding's destabilizing effect on the Mendenhall River's banks and the obstruction of roads by silt and debris, city authorities declared a state of local emergency on Sunday.

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According to an official news release from the City and Borough of Juneau, the flooding's aftermath resulted in the loss of at least two structures to the river, with additional structures at risk or already evacuated. The surge in river levels was a result of glacial lake outburst flooding originating from Suicide Basin, a basin filled with ice and water adjacent to the Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau. This flooding cascaded into Mendenhall Lake and the river, leading to the lake's cresting on Saturday night. The National Weather Service in Juneau confirmed these details.

The record-breaking crest reached an elevation of 14.97 feet, significantly surpassing the previous record of 11.99 feet set in 2016. As indicated by weather service data, the lake's water levels had receded to approximately 7 feet by Sunday night and are projected to fall below 6 feet by Tuesday night.

While the Suicide Basin has intermittently discharged glacial water into the nearby lake and river since 2011, the weather service cautioned that this current flooding event is affecting areas that have not previously experienced such severe inundation.

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