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Temporary barriers spared Alaska's capital from severe flooding. A long-term solution is elusive
Temporary barriers protected over 460 properties from a record 16.65-foot flood crest this year, but a permanent solution remains uncertain amid climate change challenges.
- On August 13, 2025, Juneau, Alaska, experienced an annual glacial outburst flood from Suicide Basin near Mendenhall Glacier, reaching 16.65 feet and threatening residential areas.
- The flooding worsens annually due to climate change accelerating glacier melting, creating a growing threat that has persisted since 2011 and sets new water-level records each year.
- Officials, including emergency manager Ryan O'Shaughnessy, installed 10,000 Hesco sandbag barriers along 2.5 miles of riverbank, protecting more than 460 properties and limiting damage compared to previous years.
- Brigadier General Clete Goetz of the Army Corps described the difficulty of designing a lasting flood control plan as similar to working through a complex math equation where the factors keep shifting.
- Residents and officials agree the barriers are temporary, with about $5 million set aside for long-term solutions, but permanent fixes like a levee remain urgent as flood risks persist.
26 Articles
26 Articles
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.
Glacial flooding measured in real time at Juneau, Alaska
USGS streamgages show flood conditions are now underway, with live cameras providing real-time views on the USGS HIVIS website. Glacier-caused flooding has become an annual threat since 2011, with record-breaking floods over the past two years that impacted more than 300 homes and threatened public safety.
Temporary barriers spared Alaska's capital from severe flooding. A long-term solution is elusive - The Turtle Island News
By Gene Johnson, Claire Rush And Cedar Attanasio 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 …
Glacial Melt in Juneau, Alaska Triggers Flooding, Evacuations, and Resident Alarm
Glacial explosions, which occur when natural ice and sediment dams collapse, sending floods downstream, have emerged as an issue in Europe, Central Asia, and South America. According to a report in Global, glacial explosion floods have claimed over 12,000 lives worldwide. The majority of these fatalities were concentrated in two events: the Huaraz flood in [...] The post Glacial Melt in Juneau, Alaska Triggers Flooding, Evacuations, and Resident…
Temporary barriers spared Juneau 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.
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