Emergency – City and Borough of Juneau

CBJ Signs Amended Cooperative Agreement for USACE Assistance for Phase 2 Temporary Flood Barrier Installation

The United States Army Corps of Engineers accepted the City and Borough of Juneau’s (CBJ) request for USACE Public Law 84-99 Advance Measures Assistance to provide technical assistance and temporary flood protection against the increasing future glacial lake outburst floods. USACE and CBJ signed the amended cooperative agreement at the CBJ Special Assembly Committee of the Whole Meeting on October 30.

The scope of the PL 84-99 Advance Measures Assistance to be provided to CBJ includes:

USACE will provide direct assistance by installing riverbank armoring and temporary flood barriers and other tasks necessary to construct a fortified, complete temporary flood barrier along the Phase 2 alignment for the imminent GLOF threat to the unprotected, populated riverbank areas of the Mendenhall River.
USACE will provide technical assistance for the repairs, fortification, increasing the temporary flood barrier height, bank armoring and other associated items related to the Phase 1 temporary flood barrier installation to protect against the increasing future GLOF events to continue effectively providing temporary flood protection to the Phase 1 inundation area.

The scope described will be provided at by USACE at 100% Federal cost with no cost to the Public Sponsor (CBJ) and will be completed prior to July 15, 2026.

A recording of the meeting and all presentations and materials from the October 30 meeting are available at here.

For questions, contact [email protected].

October 30th, 2025|

Special Glacial Lake Outburst Flood Committee of the Whole Meeting on October 30

Several Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) mitigation topics will be presented by local experts and federal agencies during a Special GLOF Assembly Committee of the Whole Meeting on October 30. The meeting agenda, presentations and meeting materials are now available at juneauak.portal.civicclerk.com/.

The special meeting agenda includes presentations on recent key studies and understanding of the science of Suicide Basin from University of Alaska Southeast and the National Weather Service. Representatives from two branches within the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) will be present to walk through next steps for their respective programs, including both short-term mitigation and progress toward identification of an enduring solution.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will present on the Emergency Watershed Protection Program and the potential buyout program for View Drive.

Thursday’s meeting will begin at 6 p.m. in City Hall Assembly Chambers and online at the link below. As is standard with Committee of the Whole meetings, public testimony is not included in the agenda, however, members of the public are invited to share questions and comments on the topic at [email protected] and [email protected].

Zoom link: https://juneau.zoom.us/j/95424544691
Dial-in: 1-253-215-8782
Meeting ID: 954 2454 4691
YouTube livestream: bit.ly/cbjstream

A recording of the meeting will be available on CBJ’s YouTube channel later in the week.

For questions, please contact [email protected].

October 29th, 2025|

Heavy Rainfall Causes Landslides at Auke Lake Trail, Flooding Expected at Montana Creek

National Weather Service Issues Flood Watch for City & Borough of Juneau

Residents are advised to be aware of their surroundings and take precautions as heavy rainfall and wind may increase hazard risk in the Juneau area through late Monday night. Read the full National Weather Service (NWS) Flood Watch notice.

City & Borough of Juneau Parks and Recreation teams closed the Auke Lake Trail on Saturday after two landslides were observed. Please stay clear of the trail and out of the lake until weather conditions improve and staff can clear the debris.

The National Weather Service also issued a Flood Advisory for Montana Creek. Significant rainfall is increasing water levels around Montana Creek, with water observed in low-lying areas and the potential for flooding on Montana Creek Road and Back Loop Road at the Montana Creek Bridge. If you see water on the road, turn around. Do not drive on flooded roadways.

From the National Weather Service Flood Watch for Juneau:

“While the current periods of heavy rainfall will diminish Saturday evening, another band of heavy rain will move through on Sunday. This will result in elevated streams and the potential for minor flooding. This will be followed by a strong system on Monday which will bring with it strong winds and more heavy rain. Rainfall totals of between 3-5 inches are expected during this time, with higher amounts possible in isolated areas and at elevation.”

CBJ will remain in close contact with the NWS and our response partners and provide updates as available. Residents can also stay tuned to weather.gov/Juneau for further developments.

Contact CBJ Emergency Programs at [email protected] for more information about CBJ’s response and preparedness efforts.

September 20th, 2025|

UPDATE: Mendenhall Lake Levels Reach Crest, Basin Release Concludes

The National Weather Service (NWS) has observed that the Mendenhall Lake level has crested following a glacial lake outburst of Suicide Basin. The crest reached 9.6 feet at approximately 7:30 p.m. on September 15, 2025.

The NWS will be reviewing available data to understand this event and the associated forecast. More information regarding the basin release is available at www.weather.gov/ajk/suicidebasin.

CBJ and our partners appreciate the community’s quick action and preparedness efforts in response to this and future events.

For questions related to today’s glacial lake outburst, contact [email protected].

For questions related to CBJ’s response and ongoing flood preparedness efforts, contact [email protected].

September 15th, 2025|

UPDATE: Suicide Basin outburst underway – crest expected earlier Tuesday morning

The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a flood warning for the Mendenhall Lake and River following a glacier-dammed lake outburst at Suicide Basin. Minor flooding impacts are expected late Monday through Tuesday afternoon in the Mendenhall Lake and River near areas around the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center, the Mendenhall Campground and Skater’s Cabin Road, View Drive and possibly below Back Loop Bridge.

UPDATE:

The National Weather Service has updated the predicted timeline of the glacial lake outburst flood currently underway. The river is now expected to crest between 2 a.m. – 6 a.m. Tuesday morning.
The predicted crest height has not changed. It is expected to reach between 11FT – 12FT.
Read the NWS full flood warning and condition updates are available at https://www.weather.gov/ajk/suicideBasin.

Residents can contact [email protected] and (907) 713-4478 with non-emergency flood inquiries and questions.

September 15th, 2025|