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Los Angeles Times
an hour ago
- Science
- Los Angeles Times
Temporary barriers spared Alaska's capital from severe flooding. A long-term solution is elusive
The glacial flooding that sent residents of Alaska's capital city scrambling this week has become an annual ordeal for those who live along the picturesque river that winds from the nearby Mendenhall Glacier. This year, a giant wall of reinforced sandbags erected with the help of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers held back the worst of the flooding in Juneau, to residents' great relief. The damage was nothing like what happened the last two years, when flooding was rampant and some homes washed away. But the wall is merely a temporary barrier. The effort to devise a permanent solution is complicated by what scientists don't yet know about how human-caused global warming will impact the yearly outbursts of water from an ice dam at the glacier. Juneau is just one of many communities around the globe struggling to engineer a way out of the worst damage from climate change. 'We can't keep doing this,' said Ann Wilkinson Lind, who lives on the banks of the Mendenhall River. 'We need a levee or some other permanent fix. ... This is an emergency situation that can't take 10 years for this study and that study and every other study. It needs to be done now.' The Mendenhall Glacier is about 12 miles from Juneau, home to 30,000 people in southeast Alaska, and is a popular tourist attraction due to its proximity and easy access on walking trails. Homes on the city's outskirts are within miles of Mendenhall Lake, which sits below the glacier, and many front the Mendenhall River. The glacial outburst flooding from the Mendenhall is itself a phenomenon caused by climate change, which is thinning glaciers around the world. A glacier nearby retreated, leaving behind a large bowl — Suicide Basin — that fills each spring and summer with rainwater and snowmelt dammed by the Mendenhall. When that water builds up enough pressure, it forces its way under or around the ice dam, enters Mendenhall Lake, and flows down the Mendenhall River toward Juneau. Flooding from the basin has been an annual concern since 2011 and has gotten worse, with new water-level records being set each of the last three years. City officials responded this year by working with state, federal and tribal entities to install the temporary barrier along roughly 2.5 miles of riverbank. The 10,000 'Hesco' barriers are essentially giant, reinforced sandbags intended to protect more than 460 properties, said emergency manager Ryan O'Shaughnessy. The Juneau Assembly required homeowners in the flood zone to cover 40% of the barrier's cost — about $6,300 each over 10 years. Additionally, a handful of homeowners were asked to chip in $50,000 toward reinforcing the river bank. About one-quarter of the residents formally objected, not enough to torpedo the project. This week, some water seeped between the bastions or through pipes underneath them that are designed to allow water to drain from yards into the river. Valves in the pipes are supposed to prevent floodwater from entering. But officials uniformly called the project a success, while acknowledging that some homes were damaged and that the barrier needs to be further extended. The barriers are designed to last for up to 10 years to allow time for a long-term solution. But questions abound. The capacity of Suicide Basin seems to be growing, and scientists aren't sure what a worst-case flood might look like. They predict that within a few decades, the Mendenhall itself will retreat far enough that it no longer acts as a dam, eliminating the risk of a flood outburst from Suicide Basin. But the persistent melting could also form other glacially dammed lakes that could function in a similar way. 'There's still a lot to be learned,' said Nate Ramsey, Juneau's engineering and public works deputy director. 'We have to assume this will be an annual event for the next many, many years. Is something like a temporary, soil-filled basket levy the best we can do over that period of time? ... We've got to keep looking for a long-term solution.' The Army Corps of Engineers has nearly $5 million set aside to begin working on a long-term solution, which for now largely consists of data collection. 'It's like trying to solve a math problem when the variables are always changing,' Army Corps Brig. Gen. Clete Goetz said Thursday. 'Seeing the problem is not the hard part. Engineering the solution is the challenge. That's what we're here for.' Johnson, Rush and Attanasio write for the Associated Press. Johnson and Attanasio contributed to this report from Seattle. Rush reported from Portland, Ore.
Winnipeg Free Press
17 hours ago
- Science
- Winnipeg Free Press
Temporary barriers spared Alaska's capital from severe flooding. A long-term solution is elusive
The glacial flooding that sent residents of Alaska's capital city scrambling this week has become an annual ordeal for those who live along the picturesque river that winds from the nearby Mendenhall Glacier. This year, a giant wall of reinforced sandbags erected with the help of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers held back the worst of the flooding in Juneau, to residents' great relief. The damage was nothing like what happened the last two years, when flooding was rampant and some homes washed away. But the wall is merely a temporary barrier. The effort to devise a permanent solution is complicated by what scientists don't yet know about how human-caused global warming will impact the yearly outbursts of water from an ice dam at the glacier. Juneau is just one of many communities around the globe struggling to engineer a way out of the worst damage from climate change. 'We can't keep doing this,' said Ann Wilkinson Lind, who lives on the banks of the Mendenhall River. 'We need a levee or some other permanent fix. … This is an emergency situation that can't take 10 years for this study and that study and every other study. It needs to be done now.' The Mendenhall Glacier is about 12 miles (19 kilometers) from Juneau, home to 30,000 people in southeast Alaska, and is a popular tourist attraction due to its proximity and easy access on walking trails. Homes on the city's outskirts are within miles of Mendenhall Lake, which sits below the glacier, and many front the Mendenhall River. The glacial outburst flooding from the Mendenhall is itself a phenomenon caused by climate change, which is thinning glaciers around the world. A glacier nearby retreated, leaving behind a large bowl — Suicide Basin — that fills each spring and summer with rainwater and snowmelt dammed by the Mendenhall. When that water builds up enough pressure, it forces its way under or around the ice dam, enters Mendenhall Lake, and flows down the Mendenhall River toward Juneau. Flooding from the basin has been an annual concern since 2011 and has gotten worse, with new water-level records being set each of the last three years. City officials responded this year by working with state, federal and tribal entities to install the temporary barrier along roughly 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) of riverbank. The 10,000 'Hesco' barriers are essentially giant, reinforced sandbags intended to protect more than 460 properties, said emergency manager Ryan O'Shaughnessy. The Juneau Assembly required homeowners in the flood zone to cover 40% of the barrier's cost — about $6,300 each over 10 years. Additionally, a handful of homeowners were asked to chip in $50,000 toward reinforcing the river bank. About one-quarter of the residents formally objected, not enough to torpedo the project. This week, some water seeped between the bastions or through pipes underneath them that are designed to allow water to drain from yards into the river. Valves in the pipes are supposed to prevent floodwater from entering. But officials uniformly called the project a success, while acknowledging that some homes were damaged and that the barrier needs to be further extended. The barriers are designed to last for up to 10 years to allow time for a long-term solution. But questions abound. The capacity of Suicide Basin seems to be growing, and scientists aren't sure what a worst-case flood might look like. They predict that within a few decades, the Mendenhall itself will retreat far enough that it no longer acts as a dam, eliminating the risk of a flood outburst from Suicide Basin. But the persistent melting could also form other glacially dammed lakes that could function in a similar way. Wednesdays What's next in arts, life and pop culture. 'There's still a lot to be learned,' said Nate Ramsey, Juneau's engineering and public works deputy director. 'We have to assume this will be an annual event for the next many, many years. Is something like a temporary, soil-filled basket levy the best we can do over that period of time? … We've got to keep looking for a long-term solution.' The Army Corps of Engineers has nearly $5 million set aside to begin working on a long-term solution, which for now largely consists of data collection. 'It's like trying to solve a math problem when the variables are always changing,' Army Corps Brig. Gen. Clete Goetz said Thursday. 'Seeing the problem is not the hard part. Engineering the solution is the challenge. That's what we're here for.' ___ Johnson and Attanasio reported from Seattle. Rush reported from Portland, Oregon.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
State was once sold for $7.2 million - Why Alaska matters in Trump-Putin talks? Russian legacy, wartime history, and Cold War strategy in focus
File photo of US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin When US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin meet in Alaska on Friday, the summit will unfold against a backdrop of centuries of history between the two nations and a state that has long been at the frontlines of international tensions. Alaska's Russian roots Russian fur traders arrived in Alaska in the early 18th century, establishing hubs in Sitka and Kodiak Island. Though the Russian population never exceeded 400 settlers, their presence left lasting marks: the oldest building in Anchorage is a Russian Orthodox church, and many Alaska Natives bear Russian surnames. Russian settlers coerced locals into harvesting sea otters for pelts, while missionaries baptized an estimated 18,000 Alaska Natives. By 1867, depleted resources and post-Crimean War finances led Czar Alexander II to sell Alaska to the United States for $7.2 million -- a move derided as 'Seward's Folly' until gold was discovered decades later. Strategic importance in war and peace Alaska proved its strategic value during World War II when Japanese forces captured Attu Island, the only battle on North American soil. During the Cold War, US leaders feared Soviet attacks via the North Pole, prompting radar and missile installations, while military construction shaped roads and communities that later facilitated oil development and the trans-Alaska pipeline. Recent Pentagon warnings about Russian and Chinese activity in the Arctic have seen US troops deployed to remote Aleutian islands, highlighting Alaska's ongoing strategic relevance. A long history of high-profile visits Alaska has hosted a range of world leaders. Japanese Emperor Hirohito stopped in Anchorage in 1971; President Reagan met Pope John Paul II in Fairbanks in 1984. Barack Obama visited in 2015, becoming the first sitting US president north of the Arctic Circle. More recently, Chinese President Xi Jinping toured Anchorage in 2017, and US-China talks resumed there in 2021. Criticism of the summit location Some Alaskans question the symbolism of hosting Putin in the state, especially following Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The Anchorage Assembly suspended its sister city relationship with Magadan, while the Juneau Assembly expressed concern to Vladivostok. Activist group Stand Up Alaska has organized protests ahead of the summit. Experts suggest that the location could send unintended messages. Nigel Gould-Davies, former British ambassador to Belarus, warned that Putin might use Alaska's history to argue territorial claims, 'It's easy to imagine Putin making the argument…'We gave you Alaska. Why can't Ukraine give us a part of its territory?'' Alaska, with its Russian heritage, strategic significance, and history of high-stakes diplomacy, now plays host to yet another chapter in US-Russia relations, one that blends history, geography, and modern geopolitics in equal measure.
Associated Press
2 days ago
- Politics
- Associated Press
Live updates: Trump speaks with European leaders ahead of his meeting with Putin
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday arrived in Berlin for talks with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and virtual meetings with other European and U.S. leaders ahead of a planned summit between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday. Merz has convened a series of virtual meetings in an attempt to have the voice of European and Ukrainian leaders heard ahead of the summit in Alaska. Zelenskyy and the Europeans have been sidelined from that summit. German government spokesperson Steffen Meyer said the intention of Wednesday's meetings was to 'make clear the position of the Europeans.' Zelenskyy is due to meet with European leaders first, in preparation for a virtual call with Trump and Vice President JD Vance about an hour later. A call between leaders of countries involved in the 'coalition of the willing' — those who are prepared to help police any future peace agreement between Moscow and Kyiv — will take place last. Update: Date: 2025-08-13 12:25:19 Title: Protests being organized for Trump-Putin summit Content: The group Stand Up Alaska has organized rallies on Thursday and Friday in the state, where sentiment toward Russia has cooled since Putin invaded Ukraine in 2022. The Anchorage Assembly voted unanimously to suspend its three-decade-long sister city relationship with Magadan, Russia, and the Juneau Assembly sent its sister city of Vladivostock a letter expressing concern. Dimitry Shein, who ran unsuccessfully for Alaska's lone seat in the U.S. House in 2018, fled from the Soviet Union to Anchorage with his mother in the early 1990s. He expressed dismay that Trump has grown increasingly authoritarian. Russia and the U.S. 'are just starting to look more and more alike,' he said. ▶ Read more about Alaska's history with Russia Update: Date: 2025-08-13 12:04:05 Title: Trump's evolving rhetoric about Zelenskyy and Putin Content: Candidate Trump repeatedly said he could end the war in Ukraine 'in 24 hours.' But since President Trump's Jan. 20 inauguration, the road to a peace deal has been fraught with changing dynamics among Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The summit between Trump and Putin set for Friday in Alaska could now be a pivotal moment in the 3 1/2-year-old war. 'At the end of that meeting, probably the first two minutes, I'll know exactly whether or not a deal can be made,' Trump said Monday. ▶ Read more about what Trump has said about Zelenskyy and Putin. Update: Date: 2025-08-13 12:01:49 Title: Trump is visiting the Kennedy Center for the announcement of this year's honorees Content: And according to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Trump might make an announcement of his own, too. The center said in a statement that 'our beautiful building will undergo renovations to restore its prestige and grandeur' and credited Trump's advocacy. Trump complained during a March visit that the building is in a state of 'tremendous disrepair.' Update: Date: 2025-08-13 12:00:43 Title: Catch up on the latest headlines Content: AP Morning Wire curates the most important stories and sends them straight to your inbox. Sign up for the free newsletter here.
Miami Herald
29-05-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Cruises to popular port may cost more as city hikes docking fees
Although most cruise travelers have come to expect rising prices these days, you may be surprised to learn that many summer cruises to this usually high-demand destination are actually being discounted right now. As economic uncertainty seems to be leading many Americans to vacation closer to home this summer, Norwegian Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, and other lines are offering major discounts on last-minute cruises to this bucket-list region. Related: Norwegian Cruise Line, Carnival salute veterans with major perks Like Europe, Alaska is a sought-after summer cruise destination that some travelers have apparently decided against visiting this year due to economic concerns. This has unexpectedly left cruise lines with unsold cabins. If you've been dreaming of an Alaska cruise and can travel this summer, booking now might be a smart move. Not only are the rare last-minute deals enticing, postponing your trip until 2026 or 2027 may cost you more than ever, as Alaska's popular port cities begin to implement both new restrictions and higher fees for cruise ships visiting the region. Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter to save money on your next (or your first) cruise. On May 19, the Juneau Assembly voted to approve a significant increase to the dockage fees vessels pay to berth at city-owned cruise terminals and other port facilities, as reported by Juneau's KTOO Public Media. Fees vary based on ship length, but under the new fee structure, cruise ships can also be charged based on their passenger capacity. Because of this, most large cruise ships will pay about double to dock at city-owned port facilities in Juneau. The new fee structure will take effect at the start of the 2026 Alaska cruise season. Related: Popular cruise destination to get new downtown cruise port Local officials say the change will bring dockage fees for city-owned port facilities more in line with fees charged by private cruise ports in Juneau and nearby areas of Alaska. The city of Juneau owns two of Juneau's four cruise ship docks. Recently, the Juneau Assembly also approved the development of an additional private dock in downtown Juneau that will become the city's fifth when it opens in 2027. Backed by Norwegian Cruise Line, the new port development is expected to help ease downtown congestion in the booming summer cruise destination. Be the first to see the best deals on cruises, special sailings, and more. Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter. Along with new port development projects and increased dockage fees, a new cruise passenger limit will also come to Juneau in 2026 as the city takes careful steps to combat overtourism in the typically in-demand cruise destination. As Alaska's most-visited cruise destination, Juneau has been overwhelmed by more than 20,000 visitors on busy days in recent seasons. With the 2025 Alaska cruise season underway, Juneau is currently managing the crowds with a five-ship daily cap, but restrictions will tighten further next year. Related: Norwegian Cruise Line passengers share crucial cruise insight Under a new agreement reached with major cruise lines that will roll out in 2026, Juneau will cap the number of cruise passengers able to disembark in the city to 16,000 people on most days and 12,000 people on Saturdays. Activists have recently called for even stricter limits in the destination like "Ship-Free Saturdays," but those measures have failed win enough support from local voters. (The Arena Group will earn a commission if you book a cruise.) Make a free appointment with Come Cruise With Me's Travel Agent Partner, Postcard Travel, or email Amy Post at amypost@ or call or text her at 386-383-2472. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved
