Thousands of homes along Juneau’s Mendenhall River were at risk as emergency managers told residents to leave before a glacial outburst flood was expected to peak Thursday afternoon.
Seventeen billion gallons of meltwater had built up behind the Mendenhall Glacier in Suicide Basin, then began releasing downstream — a process officials tie to a warming climate and retreating ice.
Forty-three high-capacity pumps, raised Hesco barriers and armored riverbanks were deployed after about 300 homes were inundated in 2024; officials said the city is better prepared but warned any barrier breach could trigger flash flooding.
The river has flooded every year since 2011, and the events have intensified in recent years, including a 2023 flood that swept a home into the river.
The new evacuation push follows an earlier August outburst that crested at 14.7 feet and allowed some evacuated areas to reopen, underscoring how quickly conditions can shift.