Juneau braces for another Suicide Basin glacial flood

Juneau officials are telling residents near the Mendenhall River to prepare now: another glacial lake outburst flood from Suicide Basin is on its way.

"If you live, work, or travel near the Mendenhall River, the time to prepare is now," the city said in a video Tuesday. "Once the river begins to rise, it's too late to prepare." Nearly 1,900 homes sit inside the evacuation advisory area, and the city is urging people to check whether their home, workplace, school, or daily route falls within it, and to make a plan — where to go, what to take, pets included.

These floods have hit annually since 2011, and they're getting worse. The Mendenhall crested at a record 16.65 feet last August, and scientists expect this year's flood to be similar in size — still a major event. But the timing and exact volume can't be predicted precisely, so officials are warning residents not to count on a set amount of lead time.

Crews are reinforcing the temporary HESCO flood barriers, but officials are blunt that they aren't a guarantee. "The entire system is fragile," said Emergency Programs Manager Ryan O'Shaughnessy. "These are resilient structures... but they are essentially sandbags." Residents are urged to stay away from the barriers, sign up for emergency alerts at juneau.org, and follow official instructions.