Juneau flood damaged 12 of 186 homes assessed, in the mildest outburst in four years

Twelve of 186 Mendenhall River homes assessed sustained damage in the Aug. 13 glacial outburst flood, Emergency Programs Manager Ryan O'Shaughnessy told the City and Borough of Juneau Assembly on Aug. 17. Ten fell into FEMA's "affected" category. Two more had water inside living areas.

The Mendenhall crested at 14.7 feet, below the National Weather Service forecast of 16.1 to 16.6 feet, and nearly two feet under last year's record 16.65. It was the mildest of the four annual outbursts, carrying two thirds of last year's flow and about half what the Phase 1 and Phase 2 barriers are built to hold. It still topped the 14-foot major flood stage.

Damage concentrated on Meander Bend and View Drive, the same streets hit in 2025, when the assessment found six homes with major damage. O'Shaughnessy credited investments in the barriers, pumps and preparedness, along with a slow release and a river sitting near 3.6 feet after a dry summer. Governor Mike Dunleavy's disaster declaration activated state public assistance but not individual assistance. Residents whose damage was missed can self-report through the flood preparedness page at Juneau.gov.

Asked what the barriers will need before next summer, O'Shaughnessy called it "the many-million-dollar question." Phase 1 held up well. Phase 2 saw minor issues, and tree strikes remain the most likely failure mode, since slow releases leave water against the barriers longer. View Drive residents, he said, were relieved but not out of the woods.

Manager Katie Koester said the Army Corps of Engineers' estimate for barrier upkeep runs higher than the city's. "If you recall, we had originally estimated it between $6 and $10 million a year. Their estimate is higher for that work, so that really adds to the sense of urgency," Koester said. She did not say by how much. She added, "So we do have an $8 million appropriation moving through Congress right now," though in an Aug. 31 memo she called it an $8.25 million request from Senator Murkowski, with no committee draft yet and "a long way to go still."