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Mendenhall 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.
238 Articles
238 Articles
Massive floods caused by glacial melt have reached a new record high in Alaska. Despite protective measures, several houses have been torn away from the almost six-meter-high water masses. The authorities are calling for evacuation.
Evacuations underway as experts predict record-breaking floodwaters from glacial outburst: 'Don't wait'
Record-high floodwaters threatened Juneau, Alaska, as a glacial outburst made it past a natural ice dam formed by the Mendenhall Glacier, CBS News reported. Officials did not mince words when telling those in the flood zone to evacuate: "Don't wait, Evacuate TONIGHT," they warned, per CBS News. What's happening? Above Juneau sits the so-called Suicide Basin. Formerly, the Suicide Glacier filled the Suicide Basin, but rising global temperatures…
JUENAU, Alaska.- In the run-up to the summit of U.S. President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, residents of Juneau, capital of Alaska, were preparing to evacuate their homes on Wednesday after an overflow of a glacier lake caused a historic rise in the Mendenhall River, reaching levels that could exceed all previous records.The city, with more than 30,000 inhabitants, faces risks for homes, routes and neighborhoods near …
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