Disaster declared in Alaska's capital due to 'catastrophic flooding' threat from glacial lake outburst

JUNEAU, Alaska – Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy issued a disaster declaration Sunday in response to an "imminent threat of catastrophic flooding" from a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) linked to a side basin of the Mendenhall Glacier.

That declaration comes after a joint local disaster declaration by the City and Borough of Juneau, and the Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska.

The declarations were made in anticipation of a potentially imminent and record GLOF from Suicide Basin, which sits above the Mendenhall Glacier.

"Hydrologic monitoring by the National Weather Service (NWS) and U.s. Geological Survey (USGS) confirms that the volume of water currently impounded in Suicide Basin has reached or exceeded levels observed during prior flood-of-record events," officials said in a statement. "A release is expected at any time. Flooding is likely to affect the Mendenhall River and surrounding neighborhoods in the Mendenhall Valley."

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/disaster-declared-alaskas-capital-due-143644927.html