Record flooding from Suicide Basin destroys one home, swamps others and cuts off access

A home collapses into the Mendenhall River on Saturday due to a record amount of flooding from Suicide Basin since an annual cycle of water release began there in 2011. Officials said nobody was injured when the house collapsed, but other structures along the riverbank are at risk. (Screenshot from video by Sam Nolan).

By Clarise Larson and Mark Sabbatini Sunday, August 6, 2023 12:05amNEWSFLOODING

One large home was washed into Mendenhall River, and multiple homes closer to Mendenhall Glacier were flooded and cut off from road access Saturday in what officials are calling the worst release of water from Suicide Basin since annual cycles began in 2011.

”At least one structure has been lost to the river and others are at risk and/or have been evacuated,” an update released by the City and Borough of Juneau at 9 p.m. stated. “The CBJ emergency operations center recommends residents of Marion Drive evacuate overnight due to concerns of potential bank failure that could result in quick overnight land wasting.”

(Video of home collapsing into the Mendenhall River due to flooding on Saturday by Sam Nolan.)

The bridge across Mendenhall River on Back Loop Road and the footbridge at Dimond Park were closed, according to the city.

“For the sake of emergency teams and impacted residents, please stay away from the River through the duration of the event,” the notice states.

An update issued by the National Weather Service at 7:30 a.m. Sunday stated Mendenhall Lake crested at 11:15 p.m. Saturday at a level of 14.97 feet, well above the previous record of 11.99 feet in July of 2016.

“The water level is falling rapidly at a rate of 0.7ft per hour, however flooding is ongoing as are impacts along the banks,” the weather service update stated. “Significant flooding has been reported with water in areas that previously have not seen flooding. Significant bank erosion has been reported as well with a few structures lost to the river. Tree-fall and debris are in the river. The U.S. Coast Guard recommend mariners use caution in the affected areas.”

The flood warning remains in effect until 10 a.m. Sunday, according to the weather service.

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Auto (225p) 225p 360p Subtitles Off Subtitles EN English A jet boat belonging to a couple who live in one of the homes where road access was cut off by flooding ferries residents in the flooded area to safety on View Drive on Saturday evening. The couple’s boat used for hours to shuttle people, pets and possessions across the flooded stretch of street. (Photo by Karie Sims) A jet boat belonging to a couple who live in one of the homes where road access was cut off by flooding ferries residents in the flooded area to safety on View Drive on Saturday evening. The couple’s boat used for hours to shuttle people, pets and possessions across the flooded stretch of street. (Photo by Karie Sims)

Residents of the cut-off homes on View Drive, along with friends and other locals offering help on Saturday, used motor boats, kayaks and other watercraft to bring generators to homes where AEL&P turned off the power, retrieve belongings and stranded pets, and check on the condition of homes and vehicles.

Aaron Jacobs, a senior service hydrologist for the National Weather Service, said at about 5 p.m. the water levels were 13.6 feet above normal, and at that point could not predict when or how high the peak crest would be. “This is uncharted territory,” he said. “We’ve never had it this high before.