Salmon River near Hyder still rising; road to Canada at risk

The Salmon River near Hyder is rising fast, and if it keeps climbing it could sever the tiny Southeast Alaska community's only overland link to the outside world.

The river hit 23.8 feet early Tuesday afternoon and was still climbing, pushed by an outburst from glacier-dammed Summit Lake that began around July 13. The water is bearing down on the road to Premier, British Columbia, near Mile 9 — the only road out of Hyder, which sits in Alaska but can be reached overland only through Canada. Flooding there could leave the community cut off.

Forecasters can't say how bad it will get. The National Weather Service in Juneau says there is no way to know how much water Summit Lake will release, leaving both the crest height and its timing uncertain. The crest was expected Wednesday evening or Thursday.

The danger is more than high water. Outburst water is extremely cold, raising the risk of hypothermia for anyone who ends up in it, and the surge can carry heavy debris. These sudden glacier-dam releases have become a recurring summer hazard in Alaska; a 2023 outburst from the Mendenhall Glacier flooded streets and damaged homes in Juneau.

The Weather Service is asking anyone near the river to stay clear of the water and report flooding.