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The Guardian
5 days ago
- Climate
- The Guardian
Barriers prevent severe flooding in Alaska capital after glacier outburst
Newly installed river barriers held back record levels of flooding and prevented widespread damage in Alaska's capital city on Wednesday, after an ice dam at the nearby Mendenhall Glacier released a huge surge of rainwater and snowmelt, officials said. Water pooled on several streets and in some yards in Juneau after the Mendenhall River crested earlier in the day, and high water was expected to persist for hours. But many residents in the flood zone had evacuated before peak water levels, and there were no damage reports similar to the past two summers, when about 300 homes were flooded. The temporary barriers 'really have protected our community', Juneau city manager Katie Koester told a news conference. 'If it weren't for them, we would have hundreds and hundreds of flooded homes.' On Tuesday morning, authorities confirmed that water had started escaping the ice dam, with flooding expected into Wednesday. Some Juneau residents in the flood zone had already evacuated as officials intensified their warnings on Tuesday, saying: 'Don't wait, Evacuate TONIGHT.' The National Weather Service (NWS) office in Juneau said in an X post late on Tuesday that local hydrologists had adjusted their Mendenhall flooding forecast, anticipating that the river would crest at over 16ft on Wednesday morning. Nicole Ferrin, with the NWS, said during a briefing on Tuesday that the flood warning was issued after 'a lot of analysis' but the calculations were complicated by rainfall causing significant rising of the lake and river and confirmed that a sub-glacial release had occurred. 'This will be a new record based on all of the information we have,' Ferrin said, according to the Juneau Empire. City officials responded to concerns from property owners this year by working with state, federal and tribal entities to install a temporary levee along roughly 2.5 miles (4km) of riverbank in an attempt to prevent widespread flooding. The 10,000 'Hesco' barriers are essentially giant, reinforced sandbags intended to protect more than 460 properties, said emergency manager Ryan O'Shaughnessy. Some water did seep into yards through drains that had been installed under the barriers. In other spots, trees floating down the river struck and damaged the barriers, officials said. But the fortified wall largely held. The Mendenhall Glacier fills a large valley north of Juneau, creating an ice dam for a meltwater lake that fills Suicide Basin. Since 2011, outburst floods from the depression have been pouring into Mendenhall Lake and rushing down the river toward Juneau each year. But the annual Mendenhall glacial lake outburst flood is judged to be intensifying as a result of climate change. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (Noaa), said in a statement that Alaska had warmed twice as fast as the rest of the US over the last several decades. Over the last century, Alaska's average annual temperature has risen 3.1F and the overall trend continues to increase, according to data from Noaa's National Centers for Environmental Information. Scientists have attributed the retreat, melting and thinning of glaciers over the last century to Earth's warming climate. Alaska's glaciers are among the fastest-melting glaciers on Earth and have been in steep decline since the late 1980s, according to the Alaska Climate Science Center. Sign up to Headlines US Get the most important US headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning after newsletter promotion On the record amounts of water that threatened Juneau, Rick Thoman, Alaska climate specialist at the Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy, told Noaa reported: 'Without climate change, there is no reason to think that this would be happening on the Mendenhall Glacier, then in the lake, and downriver.' An outburst in August 2023 sent record amounts of water into Mendenhall Lake and down Mendenhall River toward Juneau, inundating areas that had not experienced flooding before, the NWS office in Juneau said at the time, causing significant erosion. The Mendenhall Glacier is about 12 miles from Juneau and considered a popular tourist attraction. Juneau lies 800 miles (1,300km) from Anchorage, where Donald Trump and the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, are due to meet on Friday to discuss the war in Ukraine. Flooding from the glacier has become an annual concern for almost 15 years, and in recent years has swept away houses and swamped hundreds of homes. It is blamed on the retreat of a smaller glacier near Mendenhall Glacier – a casualty of the heating climate – and left a basin that fills with rainwater and snowmelt each spring and summer. When the water creates enough pressure, it forces its way under or around the ice dam created by the blue-ice Mendenhall glacier. The Mendenhall was originally named Sitaantaagu ('the Glacier Behind the Town') or Aak'wtaaksit ('the Glacier Behind the Little Lake') by the Tlingit Indians, but later called Auke (Auk) Glacier, for the Auk Kwaan band of Tlingit Indians, by naturalist John Muir. It was renamed in 1892 for Thomas Corwin Mendenhall, who had helped determine the boundary between Canada and Alaska. It is considered a relic of the little ice age that lasted until the mid-18th century and is now receding at about 100-150ft (30-45 meters) a year. The Associated Press contributed reporting
CBS News
5 days ago
- Climate
- CBS News
Threat over after Alaska's capital sees record glacier-related flooding as river tops 16.6 feet
Waters have receded, ending the flood threat after Alaska's capital city faced record floodwaters Wednesday stemming from a basin dammed by the Mendenhall Glacier, which released an "outburst flood" that threatened parts of Juneau. "I think we were all very grateful to see the Hesko barriers work," Katie Koester, the Juneau city manager, said in an interview with CBS News Wednesday evening. "We can all breathe a sigh of relief. For the most part we had very minimal flooding and avoided a really catastrophic event." Water levels in the Mendenhall River, which flows through Juneau, reached unprecedented heights in the early morning hours and peaked at around 7:15 a.m. local time before beginning to fall, the National Weather Service said. At its peak, the river's flood stage rose to 16.65 feet, topping the previous record of 15.99 feet set last year, according to forecasters. "We could have easily had almost 1,000 structures — most of them residences, some multifamily — flooded," Koester said. "And for many of those homes it would have been the second year in a row of flooding. Really cold, icy waters, really difficult to mitigate against, does a lot of damage to your home because of that glacial silt." The Mendenhall Glacier is about 12 miles from downtown Juneau and is a popular tourist attraction due to its proximity to Alaska's capital city, home to 30,000 people, 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, into which the glacial outburst is flowing. Some Juneau residents in the flood zone evacuated Tuesday, heeding guidance from officials who warned the community: "Don't wait, Evacuate TONIGHT." Evacuated areas were reopened to residents only Wednesday afternoon, officials said. The city of Juneau said crews would be coming through to assess the flooding damage. It advised residents noto to drive through any standing water. "In addition to posing a safety hazard, driving generates waves that cause additional damage to nearby structures," the city said. On Tuesday morning, authorities confirmed water had started escaping the ice dam. Later Wednesday morning, U.S. Forest Service ranger Michael Downs told reporters at a news conference that the west side of the glacier's recreation area remained underwater, along with a number of trails in the national forest that surrounds it. The Forest Service has closed the entire Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Area until further notice, and Downs said at the briefing that it will likely be five or six days before rangers are able to fully assess the situation. The visitor's center in the recreation area, however, will reopen Thursday, he said. Public schools in Juneau will delay their return for the upcoming academic year by one day, resuming classes this Friday instead of Thursday, said Frank Hauser, the school district superintendent. Flooding from the basin has become an annual concern since 2011, and in recent years has swept away houses and swamped hundreds of homes. Government agencies installed temporary barriers this year in hopes of protecting several hundred homes in the inundation area from widespread damage. The flooding happens because a smaller glacier near Mendenhall Glacier retreated — a casualty of the warming climate — and left a basin, known as Suicide Basin, that fills with rainwater and snowmelt each spring and summer. When the water creates enough pressure, it forces its way under or around the ice dam created by the Mendenhall Glacier, enters Mendenhall Lake and eventually flows down the Mendenhall River, as it did Tuesday. Before the basin began overtopping, the water level was rising rapidly — as much as 4 feet per day, according to the National Weather Service. The city saw successive years of record flooding in 2023 and 2024 — with the river last August cresting at 15.99 feet, about a foot over the prior record set a year earlier — and flooding extending farther into the Mendenhall Valley. This year's flooding was predicted to crest at between 16.3 and 16.8 feet, the weather service said, but then said an even higher 16.75 feet was more likely. Last year, nearly 300 residences were damaged. Video posted on social media two years ago showed towering trees behind a home falling into the rushing Mendenhall River as the water ate away at the bank. Eventually, the home, teetering at the edge, also collapsed into the river. A large outburst can release some 15 billion gallons of water, according to the University of Alaska Southeast and Alaska Climate Adaptation Science Center. That's the equivalent of nearly 23,000 Olympic-size swimming pools. During last year's flood, the flow rate in the rushing Mendenhall River was about half that of Niagara Falls, the researchers say. City officials responded to concerns from property owners this year by working with state, federal and tribal entities to install a temporary levee along roughly 2.5 miles of riverbank in an attempt to guard against widespread flooding. The 10,000 "Hesco" barriers are essentially giant sandbags intended to protect more than 460 properties completely during an 18-foot flood event, said emergency manager Ryan O'Shaughnessy. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is at the start of what's expected to be a yearslong process of studying conditions in the region and examining options for a more permanent solution, such as a levee. The timeline has angered some residents, who say it's unreasonable. Outburst floods are expected to continue as long as the Mendenhall Glacier acts as an ice dam to seal off the basin, which could span another 25 to 60 years, according to the university and science center researchers.
NZ Herald
5 days ago
- Climate
- NZ Herald
Alaska's glacial flood hit Juneau. Its makeshift protective wall held
Two years ago, the swollen river sheared away large swathes of forested riverbank, taking with it houses and parts of a three-storey condominium complex. Last year, the surge of glacial melt flooded some 300 homes. But this year, despite facing a flood larger than any before, the fortified wall largely held. Juneau city manager Katie Koester expressed relief from the podium today. 'I know we're not entirely out of the woods, but the Hesco barriers really have protected our community,' Koester said during the briefing. 'If it weren't for them, we would have hundreds and hundreds of flooded homes that we would be all planning to deal with now.' Authorities at a command centre in Juneau monitored the rising waters overnight using drones to fly along the new levee. They plan to do a more extensive assessment once the waters recede further. Floodwaters did seep into some areas, inundating roads, trails, parking lots and possibly some homes, according to Juneau authorities. A portion of the abutment of a bridge over the river was damaged and has been closed for repairs. A tree carried by the floodwaters rammed into the Hesco barriers, which needed to be fortified. The floodwaters come from Suicide Basin, a rock depression that is sealed off on one side by the Mendenhall Glacier, which is receding amid the warming climate. Each summer, ice melt and rainfall fill the basin. When it is full, the pressure eventually forces itself out beneath the glacier and down towards Alaska's capital city. The basin is closely monitored throughout the year with cameras, lasers and regular drone flights to map it and estimate the volume of water it contains. There have been larger floods pulsing out in recent summers as more icebergs melt and more water accumulates in the basin. This time, the flood began when the basin contained about 60 billion litres of water, said Aaron Jacobs, senior service hydrologist of the National Weather Service in Juneau. It released just after a multiday storm dropped some 18cm of rain on the area, pushing the Mendenhall River into a minor flood before the basin burst. The level of Mendenhall Lake - which sits below the glacier and releases water down to the river - reached a high point of 5m, surpassing the record set last year of 4.8m. Juneau officials consider the Hesco barrier a temporary solution while they debate a longer-term fix to what's now an annual threat. Some residents opposed the barriers. Property owners in the flood zone were asked to pay more than US$6000 each over the next decade for the defences, which cut through people's yards and obstructed some views. The Army Corps recommended the approach and provided 37,800 linear feet of Hesco barriers along with more than 100,000 sandbags to Juneau, Brigadier General Joseph C. 'Clete' Goetz of the Army Corps' Pacific Ocean division said during a news conference today. The corps helped repair the tree strike and is studying how the barriers hold up during the flood, he said. 'There is still flooding that has happened. There are still people who will be looking to us to assist them for recovery,' said Roald Helgesen, chief operating officer of the Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska. 'But we are a far cry from where we were last year.'
Global News
5 days ago
- Climate
- Global News
Alaska city avoids record flooding from glacier dam thanks to new barriers
New sandbag-style barriers installed along a river in Alaska's capital city held back record levels of flooding and prevented widespread damage after an ice dam at the nearby Mendenhall Glacier released a massive amount of rainwater and snowmelt downstream, officials said Wednesday. Water pooled on several streets and in some yards in Juneau after the Mendenhall River crested earlier in the day, and high water was expected to persist for hours. But many residents in the flood zone evacuated ahead of peak water levels, and there were no damage reports similar to the last two years, when flooding was rampant and some homes washed away. The barriers 'really have protected our community,' Juneau City Manager Katie Koester told a news conference. 'If it weren't for them, we would have hundreds and hundreds of flooded homes.' 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, into which the glacial outburst flowed. Story continues below advertisement Juneau, which is accessible only by boat and plane, is 570 miles (917 kilometers) southeast of Anchorage, Alaska's largest city. The flooding won't impact Friday's summit in Anchorage between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Basin flooding is a yearly worry Flooding from the basin has become an annual concern since 2011 and has gotten worse in recent years. It happens because a smaller glacier near Mendenhall Glacier retreated — a casualty of the warming climate — and left a basin that fills with rainwater and snowmelt each spring and summer, dammed by the glacier. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy When the water builds up enough pressure, it forces its way under or around the ice dam, enters Mendenhall Lake, and flows down the Mendenhall River. The city saw successive years of record flooding in 2023 and 2024, with flooding extending farther into the Mendenhall Valley. Story continues below advertisement Last year, nearly 300 residences were damaged. A large outburst can release some 15 billion gallons of water, according to the University of Alaska Southeast and Alaska Climate Adaptation Science Center. That's the equivalent of nearly 23,000 Olympic-size swimming pools. During last year's flood, the flow rate in the rushing Mendenhall River was about half that of Niagara Falls, the researchers say. Barriers are installed City officials responded to concerns from property owners this year by working with state, federal and tribal entities to install a temporary levee along roughly 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) of riverbank in an attempt to guard against widespread flooding. The 10,000 'Hesco' barriers are essentially giant, reinforced sandbags intended to protect more than 460 properties, said emergency manager Ryan O'Shaughnessy. But the measure was not without critics. Two homeowners have sued, complaining that the government was taking their property to erect the barriers without compensating them. Story continues below advertisement On Tuesday and Wednesday, some water seeped into yards through drains that had been installed under the barriers. In other spots, trees floating down the river struck and damaged the barriers, officials said. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is at the start of what's expected to be a yearslong process of studying conditions in the region and examining options for a more permanent solution, such as a levee. The timeline has angered some residents, who say it's unreasonable. Outburst floods are expected to continue as long as the Mendenhall Glacier acts as an ice dam to seal off the basin, which could span another 25 to 60 years, according to the university and science center researchers. Associated Press writer Becky Bohrer in Juneau contributed to this report.
