Dunleavy declares state disaster after Juneau's fourth straight glacial flood

Gov. Mike Dunleavy declared a state disaster for Juneau after this month's glacial outburst flood, opening state aid that reimburses local and tribal governments for infrastructure repair and clears regulations that would slow work like removing waterway debris.

He acted after the National Weather Service confirmed water releasing from Suicide Basin, a side basin of the Mendenhall Glacier that has flooded Juneau every year since 2023. The Mendenhall River crested at 14.7 feet Thursday before the release ended.

This year broke a three-year run of rising crests. The river cleared major flood stage but stopped nearly two feet under the 16.65-foot record set in 2025. Juneau rebuilt a two-mile river barrier this spring, designed for floods of about 18 feet.

Juneau and the Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska jointly requested the state help, seeking faster permitting for emergency riverbank stabilization. Residents evacuated. Local leaders have said they want a long-term fix rather than a disaster declaration renewed every year.

That may be coming: the Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. departments of Agriculture and the Interior said this month they will seek proposals for expedited flood-protection prototypes for Juneau.