US EditionMendenhall Glacier Outburst Sends Record Floodwaters Toward Juneau Homes
- On August 3, 2025, HESCO flood barriers were erected along the Mendenhall River to protect nearby homes from potential flooding caused by a glacial outburst.
- This event comes after two years in which the Mendenhall Glacier functioned as an ice dam, periodically releasing enormous volumes of water that flooded areas further along the river.
- Authorities issued evacuation alerts for residents in the 17-foot inundation zone and coordinated the installation of about 10,000 four-foot barriers and a temporary levee to guard over 460 properties.
- Officials warned that the outburst could discharge as much as 15 billion gallons of water—comparable to nearly 23,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools—and that flooding this year may approach near-record levels, with the crest expected around midweek.
- The disaster declaration and preparedness measures aim to reduce impacts and preserve safety during what may be another historic GLOF, which may continue as long as the glacier seals the basin over the next 25 to 60 years.
168 Articles
168 Articles
Floodwaters from glacier near Alaska’s capital city break record levels and prompt evacuations
By CEDAR ATTANASIO, Associated Press Record floodwaters released by the nearby Mendenhall Glacier crested Wednesday in a river that flows through Alaska’s capital city with no immediate reports of major damage, though officials warned that high water would remain for several hours. Juneau officials reported water pooling on a handful of streets, and some seeped under newly erected barriers designed to protect riverfront homes. Some residents in …
Disaster declared in Alaska’s capital due to ‘catastrophic flooding’ threat from glacial lake outburst
Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy issued a disaster declaration Sunday in response to an "imminent threat of catastrophic flooding" from a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) linked to a side basin of the Mendenhall Glacier.
Juneau residents urged to evacuate amid ‘imminent threat’ of glacial outburst flood
Residents of Alaska capital Juneau are being urged to evacuate amid an “imminent threat of catastrophic flooding from a glacier lake outburst flood.” Emergency management and National Weather Service officials said surge flooding from the Mendenhall River could begin to crest around 2 p.m. local time Wednesday. The city installed 2 miles worth of emergency flood barriers just last month, but the water from the Mendenhall Glacier and its counterp…
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