How glacial flooding has caused destruction in Alaska for years

WBUR | By Here & Now Newsroom

Published August 14, 2025 at 11:50 AM EDT

Flooding from a release of water and snowmelt at Mendenhall Glacier covered some roads and threatened homes along the Mendenhall River in Juneau, Alaska on Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2025. (City and Borough of Juneau/AP)

This week, a glacial outburst sent millions of gallons of water surging down the Mendenhall River that runs through Juneau, Alaska. The river rose to a record level, but temporary barriers largely kept major flooding at bay. This glacial flooding has caused severe, destructive flooding for the past two years.

Here & Now鈥榮 Scott Tong speaks with , Tlingit and Haida public safety manager, and is incident commander of the unified command responding to the flooding.

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