This story will be updated throughout the day.
Update 5:15 a.m.: Flooding of the Mendenhall River crested at 4:15 a.m. Tuesday at 15.99 feet, a record level that exceeded last year’s previous high by more than a foot, according to the National Weather Service Juneau.
The flooding resulted in evacuations and damage to many residences near the river, including some areas not touched by last year’s flood that were deluged as the water reached its peak. An emergency shelter set up by the city at Floyd Dryden Middle School that was empty at 1:30 a.m. had about 30 people arrive within a couple of hours, many of whom had quickly fled their homes when water suddenly and unexpectedly began flooding in.
Andrew Park, a meteorologist with NWSJ, said as of 4:45 a.m. the Mendenhall River was at 15.31 feet. He said NWSJ is predicting by 8 a.m. Tuesday the river will be below 14 feet, by 2 p.m. it will be below 10 feet, and by 4 p.m. it should be below eight feet. The community can continue checking the NWSJ Suicide Basin monitoring page for updates.
He said the public may be wondering why the weather service’s worst-case scenario jumped from a crest of 15.7 feet at about 1 a.m. Tuesday to 16.3 feet at about 4 a.m.
“We have a good idea of how much water is in the basin,” he said in an interview. “We have a good idea of how the river responds to that water. The biggest unknown is how efficient is that release.”
“If you have a bathtub in your house full of water and you pop a pinhole, you have time to respond,” Park said. “But if you just dump the whole bathtub of water into your home, that’s a big problem. You don’t have time to respond to that. The river is like that — where you take all that water in the basin, you dump it in at once, the water has nowhere to go and you’ve exceeded the capacity of that system for output.”
Park said Suicide Basin has dropped over 300 feet since Aug. 4.
He said if someone is in a safe place they can send storm reports to the National Weather Service Juneau website.
For many residents hoping the worst would end with a 1 a.m. crest, it was instead only the beginning.
Vladimir Cruz and Morgan Cruz were putting up sandbags and tarps around their house at 1 a.m. Tuesday on Meander Way. They said last year the water came halfway up their driveway.
Morgan Cruz said bulletins about the flooding situation provided by the city were helpful this year. She said after talking with neighbors they didn’t feel the need to evacuate.
Last year the inside of their home didn’t sustain damage, but a tree that fell along the river went through their back fence.
As of 1 a.m. this year they had managed to avoid that issue, but a tree took out part of their neighbors’ back fence.
“What happened is there’s some big trees that are floating downstream and normally they kind of make that curve,” Bob Atadero said. “But of course, one didn’t. It had nowhere else to go but straight through our fence. We were able to retrieve all the fence parts.”
The water rushing down Meander Way began past Northland Street and flooded quickly through the storm drains to the surrounding neighborhoods. At 1 a.m. someone could walk across the street, but at approximately 1:45 a.m. the water was knee-high and still rising quickly.
Power was cut to Meander Way and the street was closed early Tuesday morning. Capital City Fire/Rescue posted an update on its Facebook page at 2:35 a.m. to avoid flood areas, stating water by then was flowing up to three feet deep on side streets with wood and logs in it.
“Even pickup trucks are in danger of stalling out,” CCFR wrote.
After last year’s flood, Atadero said they had to rip out their downstairs flooring and three to four inches of baseboard. Heaters and a bed had to be replaced. They said the updates from NWSJ, CCFR and the city made them feel more prepared this time around.
“We learned from last year because these storm drains flooded and because the river water went up the storm drain and flooded the streets it crept into our garage,” Atadero said. “We had about two to three inches inside the house last year.”
He said this year they bought material that operates like a sandbag. The material inflates when water is added and becomes very thick. He and his wife Adrienne were padding it against their garage and inside door as their driveway deepened with water.
But about an hour after putting up safeguards for the garage and door, water began to seep into the inside of the Ataderos’ house.
Atadero said after last year’s flood the river became wider and noisier.
“We used to be able to hear the birds,” he said as he watched a large tree crash down the riverbank across from his backyard.
Update 2:40 a.m.: Multiple family groups have arrived at the city’s shelter at Floyd Dryden Middle School within a short time span, at least two of whom were driven out of their houses in the middle of the night by flooding.
One group had kids wrapped in towels accompanied by an adult who told shelter officials they swam out of their house. Another group of a father and three daughters said they were asleep when they were awoken by a rush of water into the basement floor of their house, which was not affected by last year’s flooding.
A new forecast calls for the Mendenhall River to crest at 16.3 feet at about 4 a.m., according to the National Weather Service. The river was at 15.72 feet at 2 a.m.
Capital City Fire/Rescue, in a post on its Facebook page at 2:35 a.m., stated “Do not come to the flood areas. Flowing water up to 3’ deep on side streets with wood and logs in it. Even pickup trucks are in danger of stalling out.”
Update 1:30 a.m.: The flooding of the Mendenhall River is now expected to crest roughly between 3-4 a.m., although the rate of the water’s rise is slowing, said Nick Morgan, a lead meteorologist for the National Weather Service Juneau.
The previous forecast called for a crest of about 15.7 feet at 1 a.m. Morgan said the same peak water level is expected, but it will take longer to get there.
“We’re anticipating a crest over the next two to three hours,” he said at about 1:20 a.m.
Significant flooding in some neighborhoods along Riverside Drive during the past couple of hours is being reported by residents and city officials. Trees along the river are being swept away and one was seen destroying a fence.
There are still no people staying at the emergency overnight shelter set up by the city at Floyd Dryden Middle School.
Update 1 a.m. Tuesday: The Mendenhall River has reached a record level of more than 15 feet, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Water Prediction Service website. It reached 15.27 feet at 12:30 a.m. Tuesday, surpassing the previous record-high level of 14.97 feet on Aug. 6, 2023.
An official peak crest of 15.67 feet is forecast at 1 a.m. Tuesday.
Significant flooding is now occurring on Meander Way, which until about 10:30 p.m. had been dry due in part to improved storm drains. Power was cut off to the area at about 12:15 a.m.
Update 11:50 p.m.: With flood waters from the Mendenhall River nearing their expected peak some of the worst-hit areas last year appeared to still be well-protected by riverbed rock fill and other upgrades, and people in areas where water was starting to infiltrate seemed prepared to accept what might happen during the coming few hours.
Residents of homes and condominiums along Riverside Drive that were severely damaged by last year’s flooding gathered along reinforced riverbanks that were still well above the river as it passed the “major flood” stage of 14 feet at roughly 10 p.m., watching the water pass without seeming to pose threat to them. There appeared to be no sign the reinforced bank was suffering the erosion responsible for much of last year’s damage.
Dirk Ljungberg, a resident on River Road along the other side of the river, was on his porch surveying the river level with his Newfoundland dog Echo at about 9 p.m. Monday. He wasn’t living along the river last year. He moved from Mendenhall Valley knowing the risks.
“It’s one of the things that you accept the river,” he said. “It’s going to do what it needs to do but we’re grateful to be part of it. Just a beautiful place to live. Understand that there’s certain risks involved but it’s all a part of where you choose to live and accepting what nature does.”
He had his dogs and family ready to hop in his truck by nightfall and said they would consider camping or staying at the overnight shelter in Floyd Dryden Middle School.
“The big concern, obviously, is when nightfall hits, you can’t see it,” he said while the sun set behind him over the Mendenhall Glacier.
“We’re just waiting to see,” Ljungberg said. “We have our truck packed. We’re probably gonna get out of here just overnight. Not super worried about water, anything like that. But obviously, the concern about the bank. But with the rip rap installment and things like that, we feel pretty good about where we’re at.”
The view from a River Road residence front patio at approximately 9 p.m. Monday. At 9:15 p.m. National Weather Service Juneau stated the Mendenhall River rose into major flood stage with the gage reporting 14.07 feet. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)
Adam Bishop, another River Road resident, shared a similar sentiment. He said he is confident in the reinforcement along the riverbank. He lived along the Mendenhall River last year during the record flooding on Aug. 5, 2023.
“It was terrible,” he said. “My mom — she was here alone, and I was off in college, and basically it undercut our house. And so our house was about to collapse, and so I booked the flight to come help her out, and we moved everything out of this house and all the community was amazing. Like, we had 20 people show up and basically an assembly line just to get the stuff out of the house.”
He said it was a traumatic event and it was frustrating because they couldn’t receive flood insurance. Bishop said regular insurance couldn’t cover their losses and FEMA didn’t either.
“A lot of our stuff was damaged, but in less of a materialistic way, I would say,” Bishop said. “Like we just lost our entire lawn. Like we had a giant lawn and beautiful trees, and all of the landscaping that we’d spent pretty much our whole lives doing. My father built this house, actually. And so it was just really painful to watch all that nature go and just the memories we got attached with our lawn.”
Adam Bishop stands outside his house with friends along the riverbank on Monday evening. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)
Bishop said he’s staying up to date on information and checking the National Weather Service Juneau Suicide Basin monitoring page.
Tom Mattice, emergency programs manager for the City and Borough of Juneau, looked over the edge of the Mendenhall River bridge on Back Loop at approximately 10 p.m. The ice-cold mist could be felt wisping up from the river full from the glacial outburst of Suicide Basin.
“Making sure that everybody’s being as safe as they can,” Mattice said. “We’re fortunate that the river is carrying the water well this year. The banks seem to be stable so far. Obviously, it was at the top of the flood where we saw the biggest concern last year, and we’re at the top of the flood now for the next couple hours. So we’ve got our fingers crossed and we hope that everything will go as planned.”
He said the shelter at Floyd Dryden Middle School is open from 8 p.m. Monday to 8 a.m. Tuesday and the situation will be reassessed as it evolves.
“If we had significant home damage, we’d probably keep it open another day,” he said.
As of midnight Tuesday there still were no people at the shelter.
Residents of River Road are expressing their belief the reinforcement of river banks will hold. At 9:15 p.m. National Weather Service Juneau stated the Mendenhall River rose into major flood stage with the gage reporting 14.07 feet. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)
Update 9:15 p.m.: An overnight shelter for people who’ve evacuated their homes is now open at the former Floyd Dryden Middle School with cots, blankets, snacks and drinks available.
The shelter is currently set up to accommodate about 50 people in classrooms intended to separately house men, women and families, said George Schaaf, parks and recreation director for the City and Borough of Juneau. He said the original plan was to have space for 20 people until the National Weather Service on Monday afternoon raised its forecast for the maximum river level — and further adjustments can be made.
“The nice thing about the school is it’s flexible so we can expand into other spaces if necessary,” he said.
No people had shown up to stay at the shelter as of 9 p.m. The shelter is being operated by CBJ, with assistance from local Red Cross officials.
Employees with the City and Borough of Juneau and the local office of American Red Cross staff an overnight shelter set up at Floyd Dryden Middle School on Monday evening. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
There were also numerous tents on the lawn and RVs in the parking lot at the school after more than 20 campers were evacuated from Mendenhall Campground on Sunday evening.
The Mendenhall River was at 13.46 feet as of 8 p.m. and is still expected to crest at a record 15.7 feet at about 1 p.m. Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service Juneau’s Suicide Basin monitoring website.
Alaska Electric Light & Power announced at 7:30 p.m. Monday it was cutting power to View Drive due to rising water levels.
Update 7:20 p.m.: An emergency evacuation warning was sent to Juneau cell phone users in the vicinity of the Mendenhall River at about 7 p.m. by the City and Borough of Juneau. Deputy City Manager Robert Barr stated in a subsequent email to the Empire an evacuation of the area isn’t mandatory and officials are “just trying to make sure we reach everyone” who may be affected.
The alerts were issued using geofence technology to focus on the general vicinity of the Mendenhall River, Barr noted.
The Mendenhall River was at 12.94 feet as of 6:30 p.m., about one foot below the major flood stage, according to NOAA’s Office of Water Prediction website. The river is expected to surpass that stage by 10 p.m. and crest at a record 15.7 feet at about 1 a.m. Tuesday before dropping below the major flood stage by about 4 a.m.
The recently closed Floyd Dryden Middle School building is being opened by CBJas an overnight emergency shelter at 8 p.m. Monday.
Update 3:20 p.m.: The Mendenhall River is now forecast to crest at a record 15.7 feet at about 1 a.m. Tuesday – a faster and higher rise than previously predicted “due to the water being able to release from Suicide Basin more efficiently as it drains into Mendenhall Lake,” according to the National Weather Service Juneau.
“The Mendenhall River is currently in moderate flood stage, with the gage reporting 11.17 ft,” an update published at the NWS Juneau’s Suicide Basin monitoring site at 2:30 p.m. states. “The Mendenhall River is rising slightly faster than forecasted and after coordinating with our hydrologist and UAS partners, we have increased the crest height and shortened the timing to crest.”
Water levels are expected above the major flood stage between 8 p.m. Monday and 5 a.m. Tuesday, with the level dropping below the moderate flood stage level of 10 feet at about noon Tuesday, according to the weather service.
An advisory by the City and Borough of Juneau states all residents west of Riverside Drive along the Mendenhall River should “make an evacuation plan and seek shelter away from their homes for the night.”
The Juneau Police Department issued a notice at about 3 p.m. stating vehicles are slowing down or stopping to watch the rising water from Back Loop Road.
“This can be dangerous, as other cars driving might not expect to come around a corner and find vehicles stopped in the roadway,” the notice states.
Update 1 p.m.: A warning to “prepare for significant flooding” was issued by the City and Borough of Juneau at midday Monday, which also announced emergency shelter will be offered at Floyd Dryden Middle School starting at 8 p.m.
“Residents near the river, especially those to the west of the Riverside Drive, are strongly advised to take immediate precautions,” the CBJ announcement states. “Make plans to spend Monday night at an alternative location, take steps to protect your property and move important items to higher floors, and prepare for possible power outages in the area.”
Alaska Electric Light & Power, in a Facebook post, announced at about noon it anticipates cutting power to homes on View Drive — where major flooding occurred last year —between noon and 4 p.m. “depending on how quickly levels rise.”
“Folks who were affected last year should expect possible outages this year,” the company added, referring to all areas in the flood zone.
State and local officials are urging people to avoid areas along the Mendenhall River, including bridges crossing over it, and not to fly unlicensed and/or unregistered drones in the vicinity.
Original story: The Mendenhall River remains on track to equal last year’s record level of 15 feet by about 4 a.m. Tuesday, resulting in significant flooding of structures and streets in some areas, according to a National Weather Service Juneau update at 12:20 p.m. Monday about the glacier outburst flood from Suicide Basin.
The river level was at a moderate flood stage of 10 feet just past noon, according to the update. Among the places most impacted so far are the areas near the Mendenhall Glacier as well as lowland areas further down the river.
“Water is now over Skater’s Cabin Road,” an announcement posted by the City and Borough of Juneau at about 10 a.m. states. “The road and Mendenhall Campground are closed and AEL&P has cut power to the campground area. The Airport Emergency Vehicle Access Road (EVAR), commonly referred to as the Airport Dike Trail, is closed until further notice. Kaxdigoowu Héen Dei (Brotherhood Bridge Trail) and the Dimond Park pedestrian bridge are also closed.”
All lake-level trails in the vicinity of the Mendenhall Glacier have been closed including Nugget Falls and Steep Creek Trail, according to a U.S. Forest Service bulletin.
A chart tracks the recent and forecast levels of the Mendenhall River following the release of water from Suicide Basin as of about noon Monday. (National Weather Service Juneau)
The NWS Juneau forecast of a 15-foot crest of the Mendenhall River assumes a full release of water from Suicide Basin, similar to the record flooding that occurred last year that partially or completely destroyed three homes and damaged dozens of others. This year’s release from the ice dam started at about 10:20 a.m. Sunday and weather service updates so far say the water level remains on track to reach that peak.
“It is impossible to forecast how much water will drain from the basin,” the forecast notes. “Therefore our official river crest forecast of 15ft is the worst-case scenario.”
The river is expected to reach about 11 feet by 4 p.m. Monday and surpass 13 feet by 10 p.m. before peaking at 4 a.m. Tuesday, according to the most recent NWS Juneau forecast. The river is expected to drop afterward to below 11 feet by 10 a.m. and below eight feet by 4 p.m.
Juneau Animal Rescue, in a post on its Facebook page, stated emergency boarding for pets is being offered on a space-available basis. People needing assistance can call the shelter at (907) 789-6997.
CBJ states the city manager’s office should be contacted at (907) 586-5240 for non-emergency questions. Also, A notice posted by Capital City Fire/Rescue states non-emergency flood-related questions can be emailed to floodresponse@juneau.gov.
“Someone will promptly get back to you,” the notice states. “The 911 dispatch center is not the best place to call unless you have an emergency.”
• Contact Mark Sabbatini at mark.sabbatini@juneauempire.com or (907) 957-2306.
The water level rises rapidly on Meander Way at about 12:30 a.m. Tuesday, about 15 minutes after power was cut off to the neighborhood. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)
Homes and condominiums along Riverside Drive that suffered major damage during last year’s flooding of the Mendenhall River remain high above the water level and well protected by a rock-reinforced riverbank as the river nears its expected crest Monday night. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
The Mendenhall River approaches major floor status at about 8:30 p.m. Monday evening. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)
The rising Mendenhall River is expected to reach a record level of 15.7 feet at about 1 a.m. Tuesday. (City and Borough of Juneau photo)
A child rides his bike down the flooded Skaters’ Cabin Road on Monday afternoon. While the road was closed to vehicles as of midday Monday, it was still open to foot traffic. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)
A sign announcing the Kaxdigoowu Héen Dei Trail is closed is posted Monday due to flooding of the Mendenhall River that is expected to crest early Tuesday morning. (City and Borough of Juneau photo)
The Mendenhall River reached 10 feet at 12:20 p.m. on Monday. This photo was taken approximately at 12:30 p.m. and shows the Mendenhall River rising over rock fill placed last year to reinforce the riverbanks. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)
U.S. Forest Service staff closed Skaters Cabin Road and evacuated the Mendenhall Campgrounds Sunday evening following the release of water from Suicide Basin. Signs have been posted around the campground and trails. Foot traffic is still allowed. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)
U.S. Forest Service staff closed Skaters Cabin Road and evacuated the Mendenhall Campgrounds Sunday evening following the release of water from Suicide Basin. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)
Mendenhall Lake floods Skaters Cabin and reaches over the stairway at midday Monday. Nearby trails are closed due to flooding. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)
