NOTN- Teams of organizations and volunteers from across Juneau—Tlingit & Haida, CBJ, Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, USCG Sector Southeast Alaska, Community Emergency Response Team volunteers, Team Rubicon, American Red Cross, United Way of Southeast Alaska, and University of Alaska Southeast—worked together in the field to support impacted residents, identify any spills or safety hazards and to get a better understanding of the damage from this year’s flood. The teams assessed over 700 homes in the flood inundation area.
As a result, CBJ reports that overall damage levels are far below those of 2024. However, some homes and properties have suffered flood damage—especially to basements and crawlspaces—and will now begin recovery.
Crews will begin the first round of flood debris collection in Juneau on Monday, Aug. 17, starting at 8 a.m. in impacted neighborhoods on View Drive, Marion Drive, Meander Way and Meadow Lane.
Residents are asked to move debris to the right of way and sort it into three piles: large appliances such as refrigerators, freezers and lawn mowers; household hazardous waste including chemicals, pesticides, fuel, propane tanks and electronic waste; and all other debris, including construction materials and insulation.
Please be aware that CBJ, Tlingit & Haida and United Way are not accepting sandbags for disposal. Residents are strongly encouraged to keep and store sandbags for future outbursts for years to come.
This drone image provided by the City and Borough of Juneau shows flooding from a release of water and snowmelt at Mendenhall Glacier covered some roads and threatened homes along the Mendenhall River in Juneau, Alaska on Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2025. (City and Borough of Juneau via AP)
This drone image provided by the City and Borough of Juneau shows flooding from a release of water and snowmelt at Mendenhall Glacier covered some roads and threatened homes along the Mendenhall River in Juneau, Alaska on Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2025. (City and Borough of Juneau via AP)
AP- 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The Juneau School District office in downtown Juneau.
(Photo courtesy City & Borough of Juneau)
The Juneau School District office in downtown Juneau.
(Photo courtesy City & Borough of Juneau)
NOTN- The Juneau School District has canceled all classes for Thursday, Aug. 14, citing ongoing flood warnings for the Mendenhall River and the need to assess damage in the Mendenhall Valley area.
JSD released a statement this morning, The district said it will continue to monitor the situation and notify families of any changes through automated calls, emails, texts, its mobile app and its website. “The safety of our staff and students is always our number one priority.”
The National Weather Service’s flood warning remains in effect until 8 a.m. Thursday. Three district schools are located in the affected area. Officials said the delay will allow Unified Command and safety crews to evaluate conditions before students return.
Classes for grades 1–12 are scheduled to begin Friday, Aug. 15, while the first day of kindergarten will be Monday, Aug. 19.
The Mendenhall River reached its peak crest at 16.65 feet around 7:15 a.m. this morning, according to the National Weather Service.
Sean, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, confirmed that water levels are expected to gradually recede throughout the day.
“We’ve determined that a crest occurred of around 16.65 feet, around 710, 7:15, this morning.” Said Sean, “From that point though, it will still take 15 to 45 minutes for areas further downstream to also observe this crest in river.”
No additional rainfall is forecast for Juneau through Friday, which should help stabilize river conditions.
“We will see water levels continue to drop, so through today and tomorrow, and even into Friday, we are not having any additional rainfall, so there should be no extra input into the basin.”
The National Weather Service operations, photo courtesy of the National Weather Service.
NOTN- As of this morning, the Mendenhall River remains in major flood stage due to the ongoing release from Suicide Basin and three days of heavy rain. As of 5 a.m., the river was at 15.78 feet and rising.
Forecasters expect it to crest between 16.25 and 16.75 feet late this morning, with the highest likelihood near 16.75 feet around 8 a.m. The river is expected to drop below flood stage by Tomorrow.
According to the City and Borough of Juneau, HESCO barriers have not been breached, officials reported ponding water on Meander Way and Marion Drive, which is not a breach of the barriers themselves.
According to CBJ this is water seepage at the barriers and crews have installed water pumps.
City and staff continue to monitor conditions and will provide updates as things change.
NOTN- Local officials are warning residents of imminent flooding, with the river crest now predicted to occur earlier than previously anticipated, potentially before noon tomorrow.
Sabrina Grubitz, Tlingit and Haida Public Safety Manager and incident commander for the 2025 flood response, announced this evening that the National Weather Service has moved up the flooding timeline by four to six hours. Flooding could begin as early as 8 AM.
“Tomorrow we are looking somewhere before noon, and certainly, if individuals have not evacuated the flood zone at this point in time, they’re highly encouraged to evacuate immediately and get out of out of that area.” Said Grubitz, “We could see flooding as as early as eight or so, so making sure that individuals are prepped and ready before they go to sleep tonight.”
The situation is developing rapidly, and officials stress the importance of taking immediate precautions to ensure personal safety.
AP- Residents in some parts of Juneau prepared to evacuate ahead of what could be a record surge of flooding as rainwater and snowmelt in a huge basin dammed by Alaska’s Mendenhall Glacier started to flow downstream toward the capital city.
Officials in recent days have been warning people in the flood zone to be ready to evacuate. On Tuesday morning they confirmed water had started escaping the ice dam, with flooding expected late Tuesday and on Wednesday. They advised people in the city’s flood zone to leave.
The Mendenhall Glacier is about 12 miles (19 kilometers) from Juneau and is a popular tourist attraction due to its proximity to Alaska’s capital city 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.
The water that’s being released in the glacial outburst is flowing into the river, putting homes that are closest to the river at risk. The National Weather Service said it expected flooding to peak at 4 p.m. local time Wednesday.
“This will be a new record, based on all of the information that we have,” Nicole Ferrin, a weather service meteorologist, told a news conference Tuesday.
Flooding from the basin has become an annual concern, 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 thinning, retreating glacier in southeast Alaska acts as a dam for Suicide Basin, which fills each spring and summer with rainwater and snowmelt. The basin itself was left behind when a smaller glacier nearby retreated.
When the water in the basin builds up enough pressure, it forces its way under or around the ice dam, entering Mendenhall Lake and eventually the Mendenhall River.
Before the basin reached the limit of its capacity and began overtopping, the water level was rising rapidly — as much as 4 feet (1.22 meters) per day during especially sunny or rainy days, according to the National Weather Service.
The threat of so-called glacier outburst flooding has troubled parts of Juneau since 2011. In some years, there has been limited flooding of streets or properties near the lake or river.
But 2023 and 2024 marked successive years of record flooding, with the river last August cresting at 15.99 feet (4.9 meters), about 1 foot (0.3 meters) 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 (4.96 to 5.12 meters).
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 installation of about 10,000, four-foot (1.2-meter) tall barriers is intended to protect more than 460 properties from flood levels similar to last year, said Nate Rumsey, deputy director with the city’s engineering and public works department.
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. 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.
NOTN- Water has begun spilling from Suicide Basin, prompting a flood warning for the Mendenhall Lake and River.
The National Weather Service confirmed the release began at about 9:30 a.m. after coordinating with science partners monitoring the basin.
“As of this morning, we noticed that the totals for the basin were starting to drop a lot more, very exponentially. So we looked into the Mendenhall Lake as well as the laser gage, and we sent someone up there to ground truth it in a helicopter.” Said the National Weather Service, “As of the past hour, we have decided to call it and send out the warning for the glacial release.”
Suicide Basin, a side basin of the Mendenhall Glacier, has produced annual glacial lake outburst floods since 2011, including a record event on Aug. 6, 2024. The most recent release before this week occurred Oct. 20, 2024.
“Now that it’s releasing, it’s going to release a lot more right off the bat, and then kind of level out more as it gets less full.” Said a National Weather Service representative, “The crest height is expected to be around Wednesday afternoon, and because of all the rainfall that we’ve had recently, we are expecting to have either near record levels or record levels.”
Residents in flood-prone areas are urged to follow the latest advisories from local officials and the National Weather Service.
NOTN-Juneau’s Unified Command is preparing residents for the anticipated , Suicide Basin release that could cause flooding along the Mendenhall River.
Once water begins to spill from the basin, the National Weather Service will issue a flood warning, and the Unified Command will send evacuation advisories through multiple channels.
City and school district officials are preparing for possible closures affecting all Juneau schools, even though only three are located along the river. The district said closures could last as long as the evacuation advisory remains in effect.
Juneau Mayor Beth Weldon says they are moving through the evacuation as if the HESCO Barriers – which are placed along Mendenhall river – aren’t there.
“We’re assuming that they will work.” Said Mayor Weldon “We did this all with the Army Corps of Engineers, they were quite excited about them working, and we’re hopeful that things will be much better than last year. But again, it’s still a flood area, so we are asking people evacuate.”
If the advisory is issued before the school day begins, classes will be canceled. If flooding is expected during the day, at-risk schools may release students early or relocate them to safe sites for parent reunification. Guardians and emergency contacts must provide photo ID to pick up students.
In some cases, bus riders who live in the evacuation area but attend schools elsewhere may be taken to a central pickup point outside the flood zone rather than back into affected neighborhoods.
Sam Russell, Assistant Chief of Administration at CCFR, talks through flood mitigation efforts at August 11 meeting
NOTN- Unified Command is ramping up flood preparations in Juneau, issuing evacuation advisories for at-risk neighborhoods, completing key flood barriers, and closing trails and parks as water levels continue to rise.
in a meeting at the Juneau Police Department, the multi-agency response involving the City and Borough of Juneau, Central Council of the Tlingit & Haida, and state and federal partners told media they were focused on safety, protecting infrastructure, and providing timely public information.
Officials moved the response from “ready” to “set” phase this week, meaning residents in potential inundation zones should be prepared to leave if conditions worsen.
Responders urged residents to have a go-bag ready, review evacuation plans, and sign up for alerts.
Teams are distributing door hangers with QR codes linking to flood maps and emergency updates, and a hotline staffed by responders went live.
The Red Cross has opened an evacuation shelter at Floyd Dryden Gymnasium.
Construction crews have completed Phases 1 and 1A of the HESCO barrier system along the Mendenhall River, but Phase 1B remains on hold due to the lack of property agreements with private landowners.
Closures are also in effect for the pedestrian bridge at Diamond Park, parts of the Montana Creek Trail system, the Brotherhood Bridge Trail, and the Nugget Falls Trail at the glacier. Additional trail closures will be triggered as the lake rises, including the paved Egan Drive path near Brotherhood Bridge once water reaches 10 feet.
Alaska Electric Light & Power plans targeted power cuts in areas that flood, including specific lift stations. Neighborhoods protected by HESCO barriers will not lose power unless inundation occurs. Water and sewer service is not expected to be disrupted.
School officials are coordinating closely with Unified Command and may close schools, release students early, or cancel classes depending on flood warnings from the National Weather Service.
Real-time modeling and flood forecasts are available at JuneauFlood.com.
