Juneau’s worst glacial outburst flood destroys homes and displaces residents

When the Mendenhall River started rising from this year’s glacial outburst flood, John Loverink was watching from the balcony of his Riverside Drive condo. It’s something he does most summers.

But this year, things were different. By late Saturday evening, the river had swollen drastically.

“I had no concerns yesterday morning,” Loverink said. “Then I came back after a while, and it was four times as wide as it’s ever been.”

Juneau’s glacial outburst floods have happened every year since 2011, but this year was the worst by far. The Mendenhall River eroded the bank in a matter of hours, undermining some homes and sending at least one into the river.