Glacial Outburst Flooding

The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities announced Tuesday that the emergency bridge work is complete. Engineers say the bridge is safe for the public.

Some residents feel they have no choice but to cut their losses and leave. Others hope to stay, pointing to investments they’ve made into their homes and the tight-knit Juneau community. 

The city is looking at every HESCO block and will issue a report on the damage to inform repairs and improvements.

City officials say the HESCO barriers sustained around $1 million in damage during the 2025 glacial outburst flood.

The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities says emergency bridge repairs are currently underway, but it did not have a timeline for when it will reopen to the public.

Officials and residents are exploring a federal buyout program that would pay willing View Drive residents to move and turn the land into a park.

Juneau city officials are looking at everything from dams to explosives to keep Mendenhall Valley residents safe from future glacial outburst floods. 

After the water receded from this week’s all-time record breaking glacial outburst flood, Mendenhall Valley residents spent Thursday taking stock of the damage.

The temporary levee the city installed along the Mendenhall River this year protected hundreds of homes nearby. But water still leaked through some sections and flooded several streets and homes.

A flood warning remains in effect for the Mendenhall Valley until Thursday morning, prompting the district to close schools until Friday.