Flood warning for Mendenhall River: forecast unchanged

The National Weather Service has issued a flood warning for the Mendenhall Lake and River following a glacier-dammed lake outburst. As of 4 p.m. Sunday, October 20, the river is rising as expected and there are no changes to the forecast.

Under the current forecast, the Mendenhall River is expected to crest between 11 and 11.5 feet on Monday, October 21,  between 1 a.m. and 7 a.m. National Weather Service flood forecasts predict that at 11 feet, View Drive will be flooded and impassable, with flooding to some homes in the area. Some homes along the river on Meander Way will begin to see flooding in backyards.

CBJ continues to monitor conditions closely. You can find the full NWS forecast at https://www.weather.gov/ajk/suicideBasin. To see inundation maps, visit https://water.noaa.gov/gauges/MNDA2.

All members of the public should avoid the Mendenhall River until further notice for the safety of yourself and others. Banks are unstable and slippery with recent snow.

If you are in need of emergency assistance, call 911 to contact Capital City Fire/Rescue as soon as possible. Do not delay!

The following roads and trails are closed to traffic as of this afternoon:

• View Drive
• Skater’s Cabin Road
• Kaxdigoowu Héen Dei (Brotherhood Bridge Trail)
• Dimond Park pedestrian bridge

For information about how to stay safe during a flood, visit juneau.org/emergency/juneau-hazards and click the “Floods” tab.

For the latest weather information and updates, follow the National Weather Service on Facebook and X (Twitter).

To sign up for CBJ emergency alerts, text CBJ to 38276 or visit bit.ly/CBJAlerts. To see all CBJ alerts and information releases, visit juneau.org/newsroom or follow CBJ on Facebook.