For the third consecutive year, a wave of water gushed out of an Alaskan glacial lake, threatening the state’s capital city of Juneau. But, flood barriers installed by the city managed to prevent disaster from unfolding in the picturesque port town despite record-breaking water levels this week.

Suicide Basin, an ice-dammed lake on an arm of Mendenhall Glacier, has filled up with meltwater and sent destructive surges of water into Juneau for 3 straight summers.

The National Weather Service issued a special weather statement indicating that it could take up to six days for the basin to release floodwaters into Mendenhall Lake.

Officials say new barriers protected against the kind of major damage inflicted during last year’s destructive Suicide Basin release, though high water inundated numerous areas.

University of Alaska Southeast environmental science professor Eran Hood recalled that it was a sunny summer day in 2011 when an unexpected and potentially perilous situation began to unfold. The Mendenhall River,

These floods, which began more than a decade ago, have become increasingly destructive in recent years and now pose a persistent summertime threat. This time, Alaska’s capital city fortified itself against the floodwaters.

Authorities are still taking stock of Mendenhall River flooding, but new temporary riverfront barriers appear to have staved off the kind of severe damage seen in 2024.

KTOO’s Alix Soliman is part of the team reporting on this year’s glacial outburst flood. She spoke to Alaska Public Media's Casey Grove about it on Tuesday. Below is the transcript of an interview with Soliman on Alaska News Nightly. It has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Officials in Alaska have advised residents to evacuate the state's capital city Wednesday as a melting glacier is expected to cause major flooding.

A powerful surge of glacial meltwater is once again testing Juneau's resilience, and this time, the ripple effects could reach well beyond city limits — impacting thousands of travelers headed to Alaska’s capital by cruise ship.