Aug. 8 (UPI) — A melting glacier, overflowing from heavy rains in Alaska, unleashed a torrent of water on Juneau where more than 100 homes were damaged in what is being called an “unprecedented” glacial lake outburst flood.
The glacier flood from the Suicide Basin swelled the Mendenhall River to record levels, causing destructive flooding in Juneau on Tuesday, nearly one year after the same river flooded on Aug. 7, 2023.
Glacial lake outbursts occur when a basin fills with water from melting snow, ice and rain — after Juneau’s heavy rainfall in July — which overtopped the glacier, “like water overflowing out of a full bathtub,” the city of Juneau explained last week in a warning to residents to prepare for flooding and evacuations.
A U.S. Geological Survey camera captured the Suicide Basin glacial lake’s gradual rise over the past month and rapid fall pictured Tuesday after the outburst sent water flooding into Juneau below.
