The rapid glacial melt near Juneau, Alaska, has prompted evacuations due to fears of catastrophic flooding as a basin dam breaks, with water levels surging past dangerous thresholds.
Alaska Faces Urgent Evacuations as Glacial Melting Sparks Flooding Threats
Alaska Faces Urgent Evacuations as Glacial Melting Sparks Flooding Threats
Residents in Juneau prepare to evacuate as Mendenhall Glacier's melting ice triggers fears of unprecedented flooding.
Residents in Juneau, Alaska, are facing an urgent call to evacuate as the threat of severe flooding looms large due to a significant glacial melt. Water is rapidly escaping a basin dammed by the Mendenhall Glacier, escalating fears of unprecedented flooding for the state’s capital city. The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a flood warning, noting that glacial outburst waters are flowing into the Mendenhall River, posing a risk to nearby homes. In a bid to prepare for potential disaster, local officials have been alerting residents about the likelihood of mandatory evacuations. On Tuesday, officials confirmed that meltwater was beginning to escape the ice dam, leading to floods projected in the upcoming days. Situated just 12 miles (19km) from Juneau, the glacier has been a popular destination for tourists but is now presenting grave concerns as water levels surged to 9.85ft (3m). By Wednesday morning, levels eclipsed 16ft, marking a concern of cresting and breaking previous records. “This will be a new record, based on all of the information that we have,” stated meteorologist Nicole Ferrin during a press briefing on Tuesday. The Juneau city authority has elaborated that glacial lake outbursts occur when a lake formed by melting snow and rain drains quickly, akin to removing a plug from a full bathtub. Once the meltwaters surpass a certain height, they can spill over a glacier that previously constrained them. In response to the situation, Governor Mike Dunleavy issued a state disaster declaration on Sunday, warning of the "imminent threat of catastrophic flooding from a glacier lake outburst flood (GLOF)" in the Juneau vicinity. Flooding has become a recurring issue since 2011, with significant damage to homes, including hundreds affected last year.
