Some parts of Juneau, Alaska, have received an immediate evacuation notice amid the risk of a record surge of flooding.
Officials in recent days have been warning people in the flood zone to be ready to evacuate, as rainwater and snowmelt in a huge basin dammed by Mendenhall Glacier started to flow downstream toward the capital city.
On Tuesday morning, August 12, they confirmed water had started escaping the ice dam, with flooding expected late Tuesday and on Wednesday. They advised people in the city's flood zone to leave.
The Mendenhall Glacier is about 12 miles from Juneau and is a renowned tourist spot due to its proximity to Alaska's capital city and easy access on walking trails.
Homes on the city's outskirts are within miles of Mendenhall Lake, which sits below the glacier, and many face the Mendenhall River.
The water that is being released in the glacial outburst is flowing into the river, putting homes that are closest to the river at risk. The National Weather Service said it expected flooding to peak at 4 p.m. local time Wednesday.
Flooding from the basin has become a yearly concern and in recent years has swept away houses and swamped hundreds of homes.
Government agencies installed temporary barriers this year in hopes of protecting several hundred homes in the inundation area from widespread damage.
The thinning, retreating glacier in southeast Alaska acts as a dam for Suicide Basin, which fills each spring and summer with rainwater and snowmelt. The basin itself was left behind when a smaller glacier nearby retreated.
When the water in the basin builds up enough pressure, it forces its way under or around the ice dam, entering Mendenhall Lake and eventually the Mendenhall River.
