NOTN- Suicide Basin has begun overtopping and could release floodwaters within one to six days, officials say.
The City and Borough of Juneau, the Central Council of the Tlingit & Haida, and local weather agencies are monitoring the basin closely and will issue an alert when the release begins.
Residents in potential inundation zones are urged to finish last-minute preparations, confirm evacuation plans, and assemble go-bags.
Forecast data is available at JuneauFlood.com, and residents can sign up for emergency alerts by texting CBJ to 38276.
The official party of the commissioning of the icebreaker Storis (from left): Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Troy Edgar, Sen. Dan Sullivan, Capt. Corey Kerns, Adm. Kevin Lunday, and Rep. Nick Begich. (Photo by Greg Knight)
The official party of the commissioning of the icebreaker Storis (from left): Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Troy Edgar, Sen. Dan Sullivan, Capt. Corey Kerns, Adm. Kevin Lunday, and Rep. Nick Begich. (Photos by Greg Knight)
The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Storis, the Coast Guard’s newest icebreaker meant for service in the Arctic, was commissioned on Sunday in Juneau.
The Storis is the first polar icebreaker acquired by the service in more than two decades. The vessel will be permanently berthed in downtown Juneau.
The U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker Storis berthed in downtown Juneau.
Taking part in the event were Sen. Dan Sullivan, Rep. Nick Begich III, Rep. Mike Ezell of Mississippi, Coast Guard Acting Commandant Admiral Kevin Lunday, Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Troy Edgar, and Storis’ commanding officer Capt. Corey Kerns.
Opening remarks at the ceremony were offered by City and Borough of Juneau Deputy Mayor Greg Smith, who unveiled a placard denoting Juneau as an official U.S. Coast Guard city.
“Juneau has always been a Coast Guard city, and I think with the bringing of the Storis to home port in Juneau, that highlights that even more,” Smith said. “It’s a tremendous honor, a tremendous privilege, but also a tremendous responsibility for us to make sure that we are the best home port city that we can be for the Storis. Thankfully, Juneau’s priorities are the priorities of the Coast Guard; robust infrastructure, affordable housing, available child care, excellent health care and great schools, and we have made a lot of investments in those areas to make sure we provide great services to our community, as well as our Coast Guard families.”
Smith said the CBJ has identified land that could be used for housing for Coast Guard families, and that the city has hired a deputy lands manager that can help build that capacity.
“You have my commitment as we go forward to continue to continue to work on those issues, to make sure that we are the best home port city we can be, for the Storis, for her crew and for her families,” Smith added. “I look forward to working with you all to execute that.”
Acting USCG Commandant Adm. Kevin Lunday (far right) addresses the official party during the commissioning ceremony.
Acting Commandant Admiral Lunday spoke to how the crew of the Storis would “breathe life” into the vessel as it begins service in Alaska and the Arctic.
“This is an amazing moment, because it doesn’t happen that often, but it’s going to be happening a lot more,” Lunday said. “This is a remarkable ship, built by American ship builders and tradesmen, but it’s not a Coast Guard Cutter because we painted red and put a racing stripe on the side. It only becomes a Coast Guard Cutter when we breathe life into it with the finest young men and women from across our United States that join the Coast Guard with their families to serve their country.”
Rep. Nick Begich
Representative Begich told the audience that the work of the late Rep. Don Young was integral to making the Storis a reality in Alaska.
“It wouldn’t be without the work of our late congressman, Don Young, that we would be here today,” Begich said. “He was a champion for the Coast Guard, a champion for infrastructure in our nation, and as the former chair of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, he always made sure that Alaska was well represented and heard in the United States House.”
After the commissioning ceremony, Begich told News of the North that a commitment to protecting the Arctic from future threats is a keystone of American defense policy.
“At the end of the day, we are an Arctic nation, and we need to make sure that we are reasserting that Arctic presence, that we are showing our adversaries in China, Russia and elsewhere that we are committed to the Arctic,” Begich said. “What we’re seeing with the Storis is the first of many investments that will be made supporting our Coast Guard infrastructure and ensuring that we have the ability to operate within a challenging Arctic environment with new icebreakers that are being rolled out over the next 10 to 15 years.”
Sen. Dan Sullivan addresses the audience during the ceremony.
Senator Sullivan echoed that sentiment during the ceremony, saying, “With the arrival of the Storis to its new home port in Juneau, we mark not just the commissioning of a vessel, we mark a strategic milestone in America’s Arctic Future. The Storis is more than a ship. Her arrival is a clear and deliberate message that the United States is an Arctic nation. Alaska is an Arctic state, and the United States Coast Guard is a capable, growing and lethal Arctic force.”
Capt. Corey Kerns
After accepting the commissioning of the vessel by Secretary Edgar, Captain Kerns congratulated his crew, and told the audience that the ship’s enlisted and officer ranks were learning the ship as they trained.
“They’re learning the Storis while standing the watch,” Kerns said. “I know it’s been fun, but I recognize it’s not been easy. So, thank you for your perseverance and your dedication and resilience.”
The crew of the Storis stands at ease during remarks by Adm. Kevin Lunday.
The vessel is manned with a hybrid crew consisting of military and civilian mariners.
The U.S. Coast Guard Band playing Semper Paratus during the ceremony.
Rep. Nick Begich and Alaska Rep. Kevin McCabe after the commissioning ceremony.
A drone image shows widespread flooding in the Mendenhall Valley. (Image courtesy of Rich Ross)
Last years Glacial Outburst flood
Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy has issued a state disaster declaration in response to the imminent threat of flooding from a glacier lake outburst at Suicide Basin..
The declaration follows a joint disaster declaration and request for assistance from the City and Borough of Juneau and the Central Council of the Tlingit & Haida.
Hydrologists with the National Weather Service and the U.S. Geological Survey said the amount of water held in Suicide Basin has reached or exceeded levels seen in past flood-of-record events. A release could happen at any time, potentially flooding the Mendenhall River and surrounding neighborhoods in the Mendenhall Valley.
The area has faced severe flooding for two consecutive years, including a 2024 event that damaged homes, utilities and public infrastructure and led to state and federal disaster declarations. Flood control barriers have since been installed along more than two miles of the Mendenhall River.
“By issuing this declaration before the flood occurs, we can position state resources and personnel in advance to support local and tribal governments in their efforts to protect lives, homes, and essential services,” said Governor Dunleavy. “Our goal is to act early to reduce impacts and preserve community safety.”
The State Emergency Operations Center is supporting local and tribal efforts with interagency coordination, emergency permitting, public messaging and preparations for protective actions.
The Mendenhall Glacier. (Photo by Becky Bohrer.AP)
By Mark Thiessen, Associated Press
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Residents and officials in Alaska’s capital city prepared Friday for the possibility of glacial flooding that in past years has swept away houses, swamped several hundred homes and eroded the river fed by the popular Mendenhall Glacier.
The state, federal, city and tribal officials who would run an incident command center during any flooding held a briefing to outline steps and to issue pleas to the public to be prepared.
The threat of so-called glacier outburst flooding has become an annual concern in parts of Juneau since 2011. The Mendenhall Glacier — a thinning, retreating glacier that is a major tourist attraction in southeast Alaska — acts as a dam for a basin that fills each spring and summer with rainwater and snowmelt.
The basin itself was left behind when a smaller, nearby glacier retreated.
When the water in the basin creates enough pressure, it forces its way under or around the ice dam created by the Mendenhall Glacier, entering Mendenhall Lake and eventually the Mendenhall River.
The water level in the basin as of Friday stood at 1,353 feet and continues to rise, said Nicole Ferrin with the National Weather Service. It’s just 15 feet from topping the ice dam.
The U.S. Coast Guard cutter Storis, the Coast Guard’s first polar icebreaker acquired in more than 25 years, departed Auke Bay on Saturday for its scheduled transit to downtown Juneau, where it will be permanently berthed.
The vessel expands America’s operational presence in the Arctic and will support Coast Guard missions while the service awaits the delivery of the Polar Security Cutter class of ships. It’s the second vessel in Coast Guard history to bear the name Storis. The vessel is manned with a hybrid crew consisting of military and civilian mariners.
Commander Philip Baxa, aboard the Storis on Saturday, explained to News of the North and Seward Public Media that the vessel was ready from day one to be put into operation for the Coast Guard.
The bridge of the Storis as seen on Saturday, Aug. 9, 2025.
“When we bought her, as is, she was a Coast Guard-worthy ship,” Baxa said. “And I say that because we really did a really good job of our market research. Sailing on board today are some of the folks who actually did some of the major demonstrations of the vessel, put her through her paces as we were doing the negotiation for the purchase. And right from the get go, we were like, hey, this vessel has got some really good capabilities. Likewise, she was a tested vessel. She had gone to Antarctica twice, and broke over six feet of ice at three knots continuously.”
CBJ Port Director Carl Uchytil stands aft of the bridge aboard the Storis.
The acquisition of the Storis was made possible through the Don Young Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2022 and fiscal year 2024 Congressional appropriations.
The Storis is commanded by Captain Corey M. Kerns.
The aft deck aboard the Storis.
Anchors specially designed for use in ice conditions aboard the Storis.
An emergency life ring aboard the Storis.
The vessel will be commissioned Sunday at the dock nearest Peratrovich Plaza in downtown. The ceremony is scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m.
President Donald Trump delivers remarks during a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron in the East Room at the White House on Feb. 24, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
President Donald Trump delivers remarks during a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron in the East Room at the White House on Feb. 24, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
By James Brooks, Alaska Beacon
President Donald Trump will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Aug. 15 in Alaska, Trump said in a social media post Friday.
The location, timing and other details were not immediately available. Staff for all three members of Alaska’s congressional delegation said they were unaware of the announcement ahead of time.
“The highly anticipated meeting between myself, as President of the United States of America, and President Vladimir Putin, of Russia, will take place next Friday, August 15, 2025, in the Great State of Alaska,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Trump has repeatedly said on social media that he is interested in negotiating with Putin in order to bring an end to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
JUNEAU – Governor Mike Dunleavy has appointed Janelle Earls as acting commissioner of the Alaska Department of Revenue, effective immediately.
Earls steps in following the resignation of Commissioner Adam Crum, announced two weeks ago.
She currently serves as the department’s administrative services director, overseeing the agency’s budget, and brings over 20 years of state government experience.
Earls spent 13 years in leadership roles at the Department of Health and Social Services and joined Revenue in May 2024.
Earls will lead the department during the transition period until a permanent commissioner is named.
NOTN- The U.S. Coast Guard cutter Storis, the Coast Guard’s first polar icebreaker acquired in more than 25 years, will depart Auke Bay on Saturday for its scheduled transit to downtown Juneau, where it will be permanently berthed.
The Storis hosted free public tours Thursday and Friday and will host a media ride-along Saturday.
The Coast Guard will commission this first new icebreaker in 25 years during a ceremony in Juneau on Sunday.
The Coast Guard Cutter Storis will be officially commissioned at 9:30 a.m. at Peratrovich Plaza, 292 Marine Way, the service said. The event will also be streamed online.
Adm. Kevin Lunday, acting commandant of the Coast Guard, is scheduled to attend and take part in a media availability.
The vessel expands America’s operational presence in the Arctic and will support Coast Guard missions while the service awaits the delivery of the Polar Security Cutter class of ships.
It’s the second vessel in Coast Guard history to bear the name Storis. The vessel is manned with a hybrid crew consisting of military and civilian mariners.
The acquisition of the Storis was made possible through the Don Young Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2022 and fiscal year 2024 Congressional appropriations.
The Coast Guard operates more than 250 cutters, 200 aircraft and 1,600 boats to safeguard U.S. ports, waterways and maritime borders.
This undated image, provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, shows a mockup of the Surveyor, an ocean-floor-mapping ship under construction and scheduled to be homeported in Ketchikan. (NOAA image)
Next week, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is planning to host a ceremony in Louisiana to mark the start of construction on the NOAA ship the Surveyor, a new charting and mapping ship scheduled to be homeported in Ketchikan.
NOAA announced the keel-laying ceremony, scheduled for Aug. 14, by email.
The Surveyor is expected to be finished in 2027, and its sister ship, the Navigator, is expected to be finished in 2028.
NOAA operates a fleet of 15 charting, mapping and fisheries ships using an unarmed officer corps like a scientific version of the U.S. military. The Surveyor and Navigator will be used primarily for ocean mapping and nautical charting.
Two other deep-sea ships, the Oceanographer and Discoverer, are also under construction and are expected to be complete in 2026.
All four ships are part of an ongoing effort to keep the NOAA fleet afloat; as of 2023, the fleet’s average age was 30 years old, and six of the fleet’s current ships are expected to reach the end of their service life by 2030.
The ships will be built by Thoma-Sea Marine Constructors in Houma, Louisiana, under a $624.6 million contract that would allow NOAA to construct two more ships if funding is available.
The entrance to the Glory Hall shelter on Teal Street. (Photo courtesy The Glory Hall/Feed Juneau)
The Glory Hall shelter says it will stop offering dayroom services to non-residents starting August 26, citing worsening safety conditions around the facility.
In a letter to patrons, the shelter’s leadership said staff and clients have faced continuing assaults, criminal activity, and “general chaos” near the Teal Street site, including sales of illegal drugs and stolen goods. Despite more than a year of meetings with residents and city officials, the board says the environment is no longer tenable.
Going forward, only individuals staying overnight at the shelter will have access to the dayroom. Others will be allowed inside only when meeting with a case manager, clinician, or outreach worker.
The board says the decision wasn’t made lightly but is necessary to protect patrons, staff, and neighbors.
