Emergency managers are urging many residents of Alaska's capital city of Juneau to evacuate as summer glacial flooding driven by climate change threatens to inundate the area.
Authorities say flooding from the Mendenhall River will likely crest around 4 p.m. Alaska time on Aug. 13, or 8 p.m. Eastern. They hope two miles worth of emergency flood barriers they finished intalling last month will hold back the waters from Mendenhall Valley, where a majority of Juneau's 32,000 full-time residents live.
"Residents are advised to evacuate the potential flood inundation area," City and Borough of Juneau officials said in a message Aug. 12. "Do not go near the river."
Gov. Mike Dunleavy has also issued a preemptive disaster declaration, citing the devastation caused by "glacial outbursts" in both 2023 and 2024.
As of noon Alaska time on Aug. 12, the Mendenhall River in Juneau had risen to 10 feet deep from its usual level of about 5 feet, crossing into "moderate" flood stage territory, the National Weather Service reported. The record set last year is 16 feet deep, and forecasters say the river could surpass that.
