Some territories of the United States are on alert due to the complicated weather conditions in which they are located. Alaska's capital, Juneau, is one of them. Local authorities reported, through a press release, that Suicide Basin, a lateral basin of the Mendenhall Glacier located in the northwestern United States and border with Canada, had suffered a rupture. Consequently, the water level of the Mendenhall River rose, overflowing its banks and washing away a house.
Images of the collapse have gone viral. And although since 2011 this area has frequently suffered flooding, it is the first time that the water has reached a height of 4.56 meters, exceeding the 3.66 meters registered in 2016.
As a result of the events, which occurred this weekend, eight buildings were closed, including two condominiums. This Monday the experts evaluated the damage to the residences affected by the overflow of the river and believe that the repairs will take a few months.
“Of course, it's more of a concern for people who are directly affected by the loss of their home and have to find a different situation very quickly,” said Robert Barr, CBJ assistant manager.
The CBJ Community Development Department authorized emergency bank stabilization Monday to address property and safety issues as the riverbank remains unstable.
According to the National Weather Service, Suicide Basin has caused flooding along the lake and Mendenhall River since 2011. According to the study Glacier Lake Flash Floods Threaten Millions Worldwide, published in Nature Communications, India, Pakistan , Peru and China are the main territories at risk from these glacial flash floods.
Furthermore, according to another study, A Global Database of Historic Glacial Lake Outburst Floods, 1 million people live within just 6 miles (10 kilometers) of potentially unstable glacier-fed lakes.
