Alaska

Watch the glacier outburst that sent a surge of water into Juneau, causing ‘unprecedented’ flooding | CNN

Published

2 years ago

August 7, 2024

Watch the glacier outburst that sent a surge of water into Juneau, causing ‘unprecedented’ flooding | CNN

CNN
—

A rush of water unleashed by an ailing glacier swelled an Alaska river to record levels Tuesday and caused destructive flooding in Juneau nearly a year to the date of a similar significant event.

More than 100 homes have been damaged or impacted by the so-called glacial lake outburst flooding along the Mendenhall River in the Mendenhall Valley, according to city officials, who characterized the flood severity as “unprecedented.”

Glacial lake outbursts happen when a lake of melting snow and ice and rain “drains rapidly – like pulling out the plug in a full bathtub” after pooling up so high it overtops the glacier that holds it back, the city of Juneau said in a news release.

The outbursts have become a regular occurrence since 2011 and are a consequence of climate change. The Arctic, including Alaska, is warming twice as fast as the rest of the planet as global temperatures rise because of fossil fuel pollution.

This is causing glaciers to thin or melt altogether, including the Mendenhall and Suicide glaciers where the floodwaters originated. Part of the once icy expanse of the Suicide Glacier has been replaced by an earthen divot that gets filled up like a bathtub each summer, setting the sequence in motion.

The lake at Suicide Basin filled to the brim and then overtopped the glacier on August 1, city officials reported. It came after a very wet July with about twice as much rain as is typical. By Sunday it was clear water from the lake was reaching the river and by Monday city officials warned residents they might need to evacuate.

Water levels in the Suicide Basin lake dropped more than 400 feet after this year’s outburst, including more than 350 feet in 24 hours Monday into Tuesday.

All of that water caused the Mendenhall River level to skyrocket a record-smashing 15.99 feet on Tuesday morning, more than a foot higher than the levels hit last year when homes collapsed over the side of the eroded riverbank and into the waterway.

This year’s flooding reached farther into Mendenhall Valley. There was “a lot more water in the valley, on the streets, in people’s homes,” Juneau Deputy City Manager Robert Barr told the Associated Press.

Pictures posted by Alaska’s emergency management agency on Facebook showed homes surrounded by a milky expanse of floodwater high enough to cover vehicles’ hoods.

Some streets at one point had 3 to 4 feet of water, possibly more, Barr said. No one was injured and the city opened an emergency shelter, and about 40 people were there overnight.

Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy issued a disaster declaration to aid the response and recovery.

“I am grateful no one has been injured or killed by this morning’s outburst flood,” Dunleavy said. “Emergency responders and managers have done an outstanding job keeping their residents safe.”

Floodwaters have since receded now that the glacial lake is no longer full and the river has dropped below flood stage, the National Weather Service in Juneau said.

CNN meteorologist Mary Gilbert and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Alaska

Crews continue making progress on Delta Fires

Published

9 hours ago

June 24, 2026

Press Room

Crews continue making progress on Delta Fires

By Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection on June 24, 2026

A White Mountain Crewmember feels for any remaining heat along the Rapeseed Fire (#275) outside of Delta Junction on June 24 2026. Photo/ Sam Porter

#222 Granite Fire– The Clackamas Crew joined the Southwest Type 1 Crew and TCC Squad A on the Granite Fire today. The fire is now 85% contained.
A thermal detection drone was flown over the fire to identify any remaining heat. A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is in place and will continue tomorrow, meaning aircraft and drones that are not supporting firefighting operations are prohibited from flying over or near the incident.
Crews are also checking windrows for remaining heat. Windrows are rows of trees left standing to reduce wind erosion on farmland. Firefighters will pile and burn dead or downed trees, as well as hazard trees with burned roots.

#257 Barley 2 Fire– All personnel have been demobilized from the Barley 2 Fire after it was declared contained and controlled. The fire will remain in monitor status. This will be the last update for this fire unless significant changes occur.

#268 Moosehead Fire– A boat is transporting TCC Squad C to the Moosehead Fire, where they are gridding the interior and checking for any remaining heat.

#275 Rapeseed Fire- The Rapeseed Fire is 80% contained. The White Mountain Type 2 Initial Attack Crew is constructing sawline and cold trailing the fire’s edge to locate and extinguish any remaining heat.
A Nodwell continues to provide an effective way to transport personnel, equipment, supplies, and water through the remote, sensitive terrain while supporting suppression efforts.

#223 Pogo and #226 Shaw Fires continue to be in monitor status.

‹ More Firefighters Heading to Ambler for Jade Fire

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

Tags: #FireYear2026 #2026AKFIRESEASON, 2026 Alaska Fire Season, Delta, Granite Fire, Moosehead Fire, Pogo Fire, Rapeseed Fire, Shaw Fire

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Alaska

Characteristics of Leadership: Recklessness – Alaska Business Magazine

Published

19 hours ago

June 24, 2026

Press Room

Characteristics of Leadership: Recklessness – Alaska Business Magazine

Picture it: an 800-mile engineering marvel traversing Alaska’s rugged wilderness. An immense zinc mine powering Northwest Alaska’s economy. World-class sustainable harvests feeding global markets with seafood.

The Trans Alaska Pipeline System, Red Dog mine, and the Alaska fishing industry: These massive ventures represent high-stakes investments in infrastructure and resources that have transformed Alaska into a powerhouse of global energy, minerals, and food. Today, we call these ventures inspired, but that label masks a fundamental nuance and common misconception: there is a distinction between the risky and the reckless.

That line between bold visionary and reckless gambler is usually written in ink only after the dust settles and the checks clear. Winners are often labeled as geniuses while thousands of leaders who made similar bets but went bust are ignored. When you see any winner in the marketplace, their strategy can look like a guaranteed blueprint for success. This is survivorship bias in action, obsessing over the front-runners while ignoring the graveyard of those who made the same choices. Recklessness is a classic leadership trap, in part, because it is very easy to mistake good luck for repeatable strategy. Our brains are wired to find patterns in chaos, even when they don’t exist, and when a gamble pays off, it is easy to invent a story to explain why it worked. This explains, in part, why high-risk behavior is often rebranded as “visionary” in the business world.

Understanding the mechanics of recklessness can help a leader spot the difference between a smart move and a predictable bad one. It is the contrast between a high-wire artist using a safety net and having practiced the route, versus one who just hopes they don’t fall. The first one is making calculated moves, and the second is wishing for the best.

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Alaska

Smokejumpers, aircraft responding to new fire near Ambler

Published

1 day ago

June 24, 2026

Press Room

Smokejumpers, aircraft responding to new fire near Ambler

By U.S. Wildland Fire Service on June 23, 2026

Smoke from the Jade Fire (#285) to west of Ambler as shown on this FAA Weather Camera at 5 p.m. on June 23, 2026.

9:50 p.m. Update, June 23, 2026: Another load of 12 smokejumpers is en route to join the 11 already working on the Jade Fire (#285), which is burning about 3 miles west of Ambler and west of the Kopshesut Fire. Two single‑engine water scoopers — highly effective in calming the Kopshesut Fire in its early days — along with personnel aboard an air attack platform, are working the incident. The air attack platform is used to coordinate airspace and relay information between aircraft and firefighters on the ground.

The larger multi‑engine water scoopers were requested but were unable to respond due to weather at Ladd Airfield on Fort Wainwright.

At about 8:42 p.m., the fire was reported at 10 acres and was torching and active on all sides. It was burning toward the Kopshesut Fire, which stands between it and Ambler

Use this link for an interactive map to zoom in and out for a closer look at the location of the fire: https://arcg.is/1XLmHm8

8:45 p.m., June 23, 2026: U.S. Wildland Fire Service contracted aircraft and smokejumpers are en route to Ambler after receiving reports of a new fire near the Kobuk River community.

Numberous reports from locals reporting the fire is west of the Kopeshusut Fire (#137) that escaped from the landfill June 4 and threatened the community before being contained last week.

More information will be released when it’s available.

Contact U.S. Wildland Fire Service Public Affairs Specialist Beth Ipsen at elizabeth_ipsen@ios.doi.gov or (907)388-2159 for more information.