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Flooding closes Alaska Highway, cuts off access to U.S.-Canada border | CBC News

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Flooding closes Alaska Highway, cuts off access to U.S.-Canada border | CBC News


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The Alaska Highway has been flooded just north of Beaver Creek in the Yukon.

Officials have closed the highway from the U.S. border to Canada’s Beaver Creek customs office as of Sunday afternoon.

“We have crews out there working on it,” said Julia Duchesne, an information officer with the government’s Emergency Co-ordination Centre. “I can’t speculate on how long the closure will last until we know more about the cause.”

Duchesne said there are a couple of different ways spring melt could cause water to pool on the road, like a ditch spilling over or a culvert washing out with spring melt.

“We do know that in April our hydrology team did identify that across the Yukon, steep streams that cross roads and highways are an area of elevated concern, what with the snowpack across the territory,” she said.

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Flooding on the Alaska Highway near Beaver Creek on May 3, 2026.
Flooding on the Alaska Highway near Beaver Creek on May 3. (Submitted by Ruth Johnny)

“The roads looked like they started shifting a bit,” said Chealsea Johnny, who works at the Beaver Creek visitor information centre. “There’s definitely going to be some tourists stuck for however long it takes for them to open it.”

For the most up to date information on road conditions, Duchesne encourages drivers to check 511yukon.ca. She says she understands the closure may be disruptive to travellers, but asks anyone who had planned on crossing to be patient.

“We do sometimes see people going through barricades or moving barricades,” she said. “It’s a bad idea, both for your own safety and the safety of crews who are trying to fix the problem.”

Territorial officials say an update on road conditions will be issued before 2 p.m. Monday.



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Alaska

DFFP Responds to Joaquin Fire 31.5 Miles Southwest of McGrath

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DFFP Responds to Joaquin Fire 31.5 Miles Southwest of McGrath


DFFP received reports of smoke near Mt. Joaquin at 8:00 PM Saturday. A DFFP helicopter responded and located the Joaquin Fire (#238) burning in black spruce and tundra roughly 31.5 miles southwest of McGrath.

Due to a nearby native allotment, additional aerial resources were ordered. The fire is currently 30 acres and has six smokejumpers, one air attack, and two single-engine water scoopers. No structures are threatened.

This map shows the location of the Joaquin Fire (#238). Click on the image to download the PDF file.
‹ Go Evacuation for Anderson due to wildland fire
Two new wildfires reported Saturday evening north of Anderson ›

Categories: Active Wildland Fire, Alaska DNR – Division of Forestry & Fire Protection (DFFP)

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Tags: 2026 Alaska Fire Season, Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection, DFFP Coastal Region, Joaquin Fire, Southwest Alaska



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Alaska

Anchorage celebrates Juneteenth with 3-day community event downtown

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Anchorage celebrates Juneteenth with 3-day community event downtown


The crowd reacts to a performance at the Juneteenth Citywide Celebration at the Delaney Park Strip in Anchorage on Friday, June 19, 2026. (Chris Bieri / ADN)

Anchorage is commemorating Juneteenth with dancing, music and celebrations of Black excellence and culture this weekend.

The citywide Juneteenth celebration also includes opportunities for education, community gathering and reflection, and features vendors and guest speakers. The event kicked off Friday and continues from 1 to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday on the Delaney Park Strip.

A dancer performs during the Juneteenth Citywide Celebration at the Delaney Park Strip in Anchorage on Friday, June 19, 2026. (Chris Bieri / ADN)
A young drummer performs during the Juneteenth Citywide Celebration at the Delaney Park Strip in Anchorage on Friday, June 19, 2026. (Chris Bieri / ADN)
Tragil Wade, an entrepreneur, author and inspirational speaker, takes the stage at the Juneteenth Citywide Celebration at the Delaney Park Strip in Anchorage on Friday, June 19, 2026. (Chris Bieri / ADN)

Tragil Wade, an entrepreneur, author and inspirational speaker who is the big sister of former NBA great Dwyane Wade, was Friday’s special guest.

Saturday’s festivities, spotlighting the theme “Community and Culture,” kicked off with a freedom rally and parade. Saturday also features a youth segment, hip-hop dancing, community line dancing, multiple DJs and a performance from Soul Society.

“Faith and Family” is the theme for Sunday’s festivities. There will be a special Father’s Day opening at 1 p.m., a praise cardio session on the grass and an HBCU gospel segment. The afternoon will close with a community praise dance.

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Juneteenth commemorates the day that the last slaves in the Confederacy were informed of their freedom following the Emancipation Proclamation on June 19, 1865. Long celebrated by Black Americans, Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021. In 2023, the Anchorage Assembly made Juneteenth an official city holiday, and in 2024, the Alaska Legislature passed a bill to designate Juneteenth as a state holiday.

Members of the crowd cheer during a performance at the Juneteenth Citywide Celebration at the Delaney Park Strip in Anchorage on Friday, June 19, 2026. (Chris Bieri / ADN)
A young drummer focuses during a performance at the Juneteenth Citywide Celebration at the Delaney Park Strip in Anchorage on Friday, June 19, 2026. (Chris Bieri / ADN)





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Alaska

Pilot dies in small plane crash southeast of Cordova

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Pilot dies in small plane crash southeast of Cordova


A pilot was killed in a plane crash in mountainous terrain near Cordova, Alaska State Troopers said Friday.

The agency was notified of the overdue Piper Pacer around 8 p.m. Thursday, troopers said in an online post. The pilot was believed to be the sole person on board the aircraft, which was thought to be flying between Yakutat and Fairbanks, troopers said.

Aircraft from the Alaska Air National Guard and Alaska Wildlife Troopers started searching for the plane, and a Guard helicopter crew found the overdue Piper Pacer around 4 p.m. Friday where it had crashed near Kanak Island, about 40 miles southeast of Cordova, troopers said.

The pilot, whom troopers did not identify, was found dead in the crashed plane, troopers said. His body was take to the State Medical Examiner Office in Anchorage for autopsy and positive identification, according to troopers.

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Troopers said the pilot’s next of kin and the National Transportation Safety Board were notified.





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