Current:Home > MyChainkeen|What caused an Alaskan glacier to cause major flooding near Juneau -Excel Wealth Summit
Chainkeen|What caused an Alaskan glacier to cause major flooding near Juneau
Chainkeen Exchange View
Date:2025-04-10 10:30:55
A glacier lake outburst flood is Chainkeenwreaking havoc near Juneau, Alaska, where structures have been destroyed as a result of a break on the Mendenhall Glacier.
The flooding is due to an outburst flood on Suicide Basin, a side basin on the Mendenhall Glacier, located about 12 miles north of Alaska's state capital. A glacial lake outburst flood occurs when a dam containing a glacial lake breaks.
The flooding has destroyed several structures along the Mendenhall River, according to the National Weather Service. Trees and debris are currently littering the river.
MORE: Greenland Ice Sheet melting faster than previously thought, scientists say
Video taken by resident Sam Nolan shows a multi-story structure collapsing into the river. Nolan watched for more than an hour as the home succumbed to the floodwaters, he said.
"It was really sad to see, but all we could do was stand there and watch," Nolan said.
Other videos taken by residents show debris and trees floating in Mendenhall River close to Juneau International Airport.
MORE: Greenland Ice Sheet melting faster than previously thought, scientists say
The Mendenhall Lake level crested at 14.97 feet on Saturday around 11:15 p.m. local time, well above the previous record of 11.99 feet in July 2016. Significant flooding was reported in areas that previously have not seen flooding, and there has been significant erosion along the riverbanks, according to the NWS.
Waters have been falling at a rapid pace of .7 feet per hour, but flooding is ongoing, the NWS said.
The flooding has closed several roads in the region, including bridges, according to the city of Juneau.
MORE: Antarctic sea ice has reached a record low for the year, researchers say
City emergency operations urged residents to stay away from the river during the duration of the flood event.
Suicide Basin has been releasing glacier lake outburst floods that cause inundation along Mendenhall Lake and Mendenhall River since 2011, according to the National Weather Service.
The risk of flooding from melted glaciers to increase as climate warms, a study published in Nature Climate Change in 2021 found.
ABC News' Helena Skinner and Samira Said contributed to this report.
veryGood! (752)
Related
- California DMV apologizes for license plate that some say mocks Oct. 7 attack on Israel
- Investigators dig up Long Island killings suspect Rex Heuermann's backyard with excavator
- Comic Jerrod Carmichael bares his secrets in 'Rothaniel'
- Phoenix melts in a record streak of days over 110 degrees. And it's not over yet
- Who are the most valuable sports franchises? Forbes releases new list of top 50 teams
- The underage stars of a hit 1968 version of 'Romeo & Juliet' sue over their nude scene
- Family desperate for answers after 39-year-old woman vanishes
- Biden administration sues Texas over floating border barriers used to repel migrants
- B.A. Parker is learning the banjo
- In 'Nanny,' an undervalued caretaker must contend with spirits and rage
Ranking
- Pressure on a veteran and senator shows what’s next for those who oppose Trump
- Connecticut mother arrested after 2-year-old son falls from 3rd story window
- A man killed women he deemed 'immoral' — an Iranian film fictionalizes the story
- Denver Broncos' Eyioma Uwazurike suspended indefinitely for betting on NFL games
- Skins Game to make return to Thanksgiving week with a modern look
- Amber Heard said she has decided to settle Johnny Depp's case against her
- Singer Anita Pointer of The Pointer Sisters has died at age 74
- Mexico’s homicide rate dropped in 2022, but appears to flatline in 2023, official figures show
Recommendation
Hackers hit Rhode Island benefits system in major cyberattack. Personal data could be released soon
Baby raccoon's pitiful cries for mom are heartbreaking. Watch a boater step in to help.
We've got a complicated appreciation for 'Roald Dahl's Matilda The Musical'
Russia warns of tough retaliatory measures after Ukraine claims attack on Moscow
John Galliano out at Maison Margiela, capping year of fashion designer musical chairs
Baltimore Won’t Expand a Program to Help Residents Clean up After Sewage Backups
Author Maia Kobabe: Struggling kids told me my book helped them talk to parents
Ian Tyson, half of the folk duo Ian & Sylvia, has died at age 89