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Evacuate at-risk areas when Suicide Basin flood alert sounds, officials emphasize at safety briefing
Mendenhall River currently expected to crest at up to 16.55 feet about 48 hours after release occurs, but ‘things can really change rapidly over the next 24 hours’
By Mark Sabbatini
Juneau Independent
Evacuating at-risk areas when a Suicide Basin flood alert occurs was the point of emphasis by a range of emergency response officials during a public briefing Tuesday afternoon. A release is predicted within the next one to six days after officials reported Tuesday morning the basin is overtopping.
The current forecast is for the Mendenhall River to crest between 16.1 and 16.55 feet about 48 hours after a release, said Aaron Jacobs, the senior service hydrologist at the National Weather Service Juneau, during the briefing that started at 3 p.m.
He said the peak level and flow are as of now expected to be a bit below record levels set last year, when the river crested at 16.65 feet, but “things can really change rapidly over the next 24 hours.”
The level of the basin is seeing a drop since it reached about 1,345 feet on Tuesday morning and officials are evaluating if a release is occurring, Jacobs added.
Details about HESCO barrier protection, pumps deployed through at-risk areas, evacuation zone notifications and maps, emergency shelter and hotline services, and other measures were provided during the 50-minute briefing.
City Manager Katie Koester said “we are more ready than ever,” but said residents living in vulnerable areas should be making preparations now to leave their homes when a release occurs.
”If there’s one message we’ll be reiterating today it’s please evacuate,” she said. “While the HESCO barriers are stronger than they have ever been, we really cannot rely on them.”
• Contact Mark Sabbatini at editor@juneauindependent.com or (907) 957-2306.
