JUNEAU, Alaska — In a race against a record-breaking natural phenomenon, officials in Juneau, Alaska, have issued an evacuation advisory for residents in flood-prone areas as a glacial outburst flood begins to unfold. The event, which is an annual occurrence but is predicted to be the largest on record, is putting homes and infrastructure along the Mendenhall River at risk.
The floodwaters originate from Suicide Basin, a side basin of the massive Mendenhall Glacier. Each year, as the summer sun melts snow and ice, the basin fills with water. By Tuesday, water had started to escape the ice dam, with the peak of the flooding expected sometime today, Wednesday, August 13. Governor Mike Dunleavy has also issued a state disaster declaration to expedite the deployment of resources.
City officials have been working to mitigate the potential damage, including the installation of a temporary levee made of approximately 10,000 “Hesco” barriers—essentially giant sandbags—along a 2.5-mile stretch of the riverbank. This measure is intended to protect more than 460 properties. However, residents are still being urged to evacuate as a precaution, and a shelter has been set up at the Floyd Dryden Gymnasium.
While some residents are heeding the evacuation advisory, others are choosing to stay and monitor the situation, with some having built their own protective berms.