A glacial outburst has sparked emergency evacuations in Juneau, Alaska, as the Mendenhall River is expected to reach record levels and cause major flooding.
In a Tuesday Facebook post, Juneau officials announced, “A glacial outburst has occurred at Suicide Basin. The basin is releasing and flooding is expected along Mendenhall Lake and River late Tuesday through Wednesday. Residents are advised to evacuate the potential flood inundation area.”
Officials warned residents in the “17ft lake level inundation zone” to “evacuate the area until the flood waters recede and an ‘All Clear’ message is sent via the Wireless Emergency Alert system and/or CBJ Alerts.”
In Tuesday’s post, Juneau officials told Alaskan residents not to go near the Mendenhall River and warned, “Approaching the river during a flood warning endangers yourself and first responders and interferes with residents evacuating.” Officials also confirmed that a Red Cross shelter had been established for Alaskan residents at Floyd Dryden Gymnasium.
During a news conference on Tuesday, meteorologist Nicole Ferrin warned that the expected flooding would be a “new record.”
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In another post, officials noted that Mendenhall Loop Road had been closed due to the river flooding. “The closure will remain in effect until water levels recede below 12 feet and bridge engineers complete a safety inspection,” officials stated.
The Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities also announced that the Federal Aviation Administration issued a temporary flight restriction over part of the Mendenhall River due to the flooding. Officials explained that the temporary flight restriction “creates controlled airspace to ensure safe aerial operations for geo-hazard monitoring, flood response, and potential evacuations.”
On Tuesday afternoon, the National Weather Service’s Juneau office issued a flood warning for the region and warned that the forecasted crest of the flooded river was expected to be 16.6 feet high by Wednesday afternoon.
According to Fox Weather, National Weather Service Juneau Meteorologist Andrew Park warned that in addition to the danger presented by the flood waters, the debris in the Mendenhall River presents another danger for Alaskan residents.
“There is a lot of debris in the river. Please stay away from the river. It’s very dangerous right now,” Park warned. “If you get in that water, you’re not going to make it out of there. So, please, remain away from the river.”
