Update, 11:10 a.m. Tuesday:
During an 10 a.m. press conference, local officials shared public safety updates.
Nicole Ferrin, the warning coordination meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Juneau, said the record peak of 16.6 feet is expected sometime Wednesday afternoon.
“This will be a new record based on all of the information that we have,” she said.
Ryan O’Shaughnessy, Juneau’s emergency manager, asked residents to stay away from the river and bridges. Backloop Bridge will close at 8:30 p.m. Tuesday.
“This is a very dangerous situation,” he said.
On Monday, the city hung nearly 900 informational door flyers in Mendenhall Valley neighborhoods in the flood zone and launched a flood information hotline.
“There’s no need to rush out of neighborhoods, but we encourage folks to take a moment, take a deep breath, and remember that they have a plan,” O’Shaughnessy said. “This is something that we’ve been planning for as a community.”
Capital City Fire/Rescue Assistant Chief Sam Russell said emergency responses will become more difficult as the river rises.
“As the flood goes up, our ability to navigate the waters goes down due to the debris that flows down through it makes navigating the river with a boat very, very difficult,” Russell said. “Please stay away from the river as much as possible.”
Update, 10:45 a.m. Tuesday:
The Juneau School District will make a decision on closing schools by Wednesday at noon. The district plans to close all schools if any campuses will be impacted by flooding.
Superintendent Frank Hauser said during a press conference Tuesday the district is requesting families update contact information in PowerSchool to ensure they receive the most recent updates from the district.
Update, 9:45 a.m. Tuesday:
Juneau’s glacial outburst flood has begun.
Just before 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, the National Weather Service issued a flood warning and initial flood forecast of around 16.6 feet for Mendenhall River. That record peak is expected Wednesday afternoon.
This comes as the river is already in a minor flood stage due to significant rainfall over the past few days. The weather is expected to be dry Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday.
The forecast is subject to change. Typically it takes a day for the National Weather Service to see how fast the water is moving and adjust the forecast accordingly.
The City and Borough of Juneau issued an emergency alert via text that told residents in the flood zone that “evacuation is advised. Stay clear of rivers.”
An emergency evacuation shelter will be at Floyd Dryden Middle School later on Tuesday.