Over 100 homes damaged as Alaska glacier releases water
Alaska glacier has released water, causing damage to more than 100 homes.
TroibNews 
An outburst of flooding from a lake dammed by Juneau's Mendenhall Glacier has caused damage to at least an estimated 100 homes, highlighting a recurring hazard for nearby neighborhoods.
The lake was formed in a basin left by a receding glacier, accumulating rainwater and snowmelt during the spring and summer. Once the pressure builds sufficiently, it breaches channels carved beneath the Mendenhall Glacier. Since 2011, this phenomenon has intermittently resulted in flooding of streets and residences around Mendenhall Lake and Mendenhall River.
In a significant prior incident last year, raging floodwaters swept away a two-story home and compromised a condo building, leading some residents to take measures to strengthen the riverbank adjacent to their properties. The damage from the flooding on Monday night was less severe in individual cases but more widespread, with local leaders passing an emergency resolution acknowledging the impact on hundreds of homes, including those in anticipated flood zones.
According to the National Weather Service, the Mendenhall River reached a peak of 15.99 feet (4.9 meters) early Tuesday—exceeding last year's crest of 14.97 feet (4.6 meters), which had eroded substantial sections of the riverbank.
This year's flooding affected a broader area within Mendenhall Valley. "There was a lot more water in the valley, on the streets, in people's homes," Barr reported, noting that some streets experienced water levels of 3 to 4 feet (0.9 to 1.2 meters) or potentially higher.
Despite the severity, he mentioned that there was significantly less erosion compared to the previous year.
Fortunately, there were no reported injuries. Governor Mike Dunleavy issued a disaster declaration to facilitate response and recovery efforts.
The river level saw a rapid decline on Tuesday soon after the flooding.
Late last week, the weather service had warned that the basin's water level was cresting the glacier, advising residents to prepare for potential flooding. The city also encouraged residents to formulate evacuation plans and suggested spending Monday night away from their homes. An emergency shelter was opened, accommodating around 40 people overnight, according to Barr.
He attributed the advancements in monitoring by various agencies and technological improvements to the ability to provide residents with more time to prepare this year.
(Cover: Water surrounds homes and neighborhoods following an outburst of flooding from a lake dammed by the Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau, Alaska, August 6, 2024. /Richard Ross via AP)
Rohan Mehta contributed to this report for TROIB News
The lake was formed in a basin left by a receding glacier, accumulating rainwater and snowmelt during the spring and summer. Once the pressure builds sufficiently, it breaches channels carved beneath the Mendenhall Glacier. Since 2011, this phenomenon has intermittently resulted in flooding of streets and residences around Mendenhall Lake and Mendenhall River.
In a significant prior incident last year, raging floodwaters swept away a two-story home and compromised a condo building, leading some residents to take measures to strengthen the riverbank adjacent to their properties. The damage from the flooding on Monday night was less severe in individual cases but more widespread, with local leaders passing an emergency resolution acknowledging the impact on hundreds of homes, including those in anticipated flood zones.
According to the National Weather Service, the Mendenhall River reached a peak of 15.99 feet (4.9 meters) early Tuesday—exceeding last year's crest of 14.97 feet (4.6 meters), which had eroded substantial sections of the riverbank.
This year's flooding affected a broader area within Mendenhall Valley. "There was a lot more water in the valley, on the streets, in people's homes," Barr reported, noting that some streets experienced water levels of 3 to 4 feet (0.9 to 1.2 meters) or potentially higher.
Despite the severity, he mentioned that there was significantly less erosion compared to the previous year.
Fortunately, there were no reported injuries. Governor Mike Dunleavy issued a disaster declaration to facilitate response and recovery efforts.
The river level saw a rapid decline on Tuesday soon after the flooding.
Late last week, the weather service had warned that the basin's water level was cresting the glacier, advising residents to prepare for potential flooding. The city also encouraged residents to formulate evacuation plans and suggested spending Monday night away from their homes. An emergency shelter was opened, accommodating around 40 people overnight, according to Barr.
He attributed the advancements in monitoring by various agencies and technological improvements to the ability to provide residents with more time to prepare this year.
(Cover: Water surrounds homes and neighborhoods following an outburst of flooding from a lake dammed by the Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau, Alaska, August 6, 2024. /Richard Ross via AP)
Rohan Mehta contributed to this report for TROIB News
