NWS / NOAA weather: Flood Warning issued October 1 at 10:27AM AKDT until October 3 at 7:45AM AKDT by NWS Juneau AK

A second release from Suicide Basin has started and levels will
continue to drop into Friday. Levels on the Mendenhall are rising and
will continue through the release.

* WHAT...Flooding caused by a glacier-dammed lake outburst continues.

* WHERE...The Mendenhall Lake And River near the Mendenhall Glacier
Recreation area, View Drive and below Back Loop bridge.

* WHEN...Until 745 AM AKDT Saturday.

* IMPACTS...Flooding of the area around Mendenhall Lake and along the
Mendenhall River is imminent or occurring. Water levels will,
continue to rise and water temperatures will fall within the lake,
and river.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...
- At 1017 AM AKDT, river gauge reports indicate rises in water
levels from a glacier-dammed lake outburst across the warned
area. Flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly,
especially near The Mendenhall Lake And River.
- The outburst flood forecast is based on an estimated volume of
water in the glacier dammed lake and an estimated release rate
based on previous events. The extent of water drainage within the
basin (partial or full) can vary widely between outburst flood
events and is a major source of uncertainty in the forecast,
particularly with regard to the peak flood stage.
- For Mendenhall Lake :
At 9:45am the stage was 5.4 feet.
Flood Stage is 9.0 feet.
Forecast: A crest between 9.8 to 10.3 feet is expected around
2:00pm to 6:00pm Friday. Water levels will go above minor flood
stage around 10:00am Friday. Water levels will reach moderate
flood stage around 2:00pm to 6:00pm Friday.

Impacts:
At 6.7 feet: Nugget Falls trail begins to flood near the "causeway"
at the end of the trail.
At 7.7 feet: Nugget Falls trail begins to flood near the beginning of
the trail. Along the Mendenhall River some sections will experience
bank erosion resulting in dangerous tree fall. These conditions could
make floating the river more hazardous with the higher water levels.
At 9.0 feet: Water starts to cover Skaters Cabin Road between Skaters
Cabin and West Glacier Trailhead, also water will flow into the
Mendenhall Lake Campground.
At 9.5 feet: Water levels up to 0.5 feet will cover Skaters Cabin
Road between Skaters Cabin and West Glacier Trailhead. Campsite 7
will be flooded with water starting to flow over the road between
campsites 8 and 9 in the Mendenhall Campground.
At 10.0 feet: Water levels will inundate Mendenhall Campground with
up to 3 feet of water covering low areas as well as up to 1.5 feet of
water covering Skaters Cabin Road. Portions of West Glacier Trail
will be impassable. Areas along View Dr will start to flood and cause
minor flooding of yards. Closure of pedestrian pathways beneath
Brotherhood Bridge and the trail system on the west side of
Mendenhall River during outburst events.

Severity

Severe (4/5) · CAP Severe

This month

2151st Weather alert at severity 4+ in the last 30 days