Suicide Basin flood crests Monday evening at 9.6 feet, far earlier and lower than expected
- Mark Sabbatini
- Sep 15
- 2 min read
Water level at Mendenhall Lake dropping as of 7:30 p.m.; forecast had called for peak water level of 11.7 feet between 2-6 a.m. Tuesday
By Mark Sabbatini
Juneau Independent
This is a developing story.
The second glacial lake outburst flood this year from Suicide Basin appears to have been a minor one, with a peak crest of Mendenhall Lake of 9.6 feet early Monday evening, according to the National Weather Service Juneau.
"Lake levels are showing a rapid drop and will likely be below minor flood stage by 10 pm this evening," an update posted by the weather service at 8:44 p.m. Monday states. "Areas farther down Mendenhall River will likely see water levels cresting up to an hour or two later, but they should also start to see water levels cresting and starting to drop soon."
Earlier forecasts had estimated the Mendenhall River would crest at about 11.7 feet, with a possible range of 11 to 12 feet, between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. Tuesday. City officials had urged residents of View Drive to evacuate their homes overnight since flooding in that area was possible once the water level reached 10 feet.
"The basin did have a full release, but they're unsure why it didn't go as high as we were expecting or why it crested earlier," said Edward Liske, a NWS Juneau meteorologist. "So we'll be researching that through the next several days to try and figure out why the heck it did that."
"It just goes to show that there are some unknowns that we still have for these," he added.
• Contact Mark Sabbatini at editor@juneauindependent.com or (907) 957-2306.
