Valley residents share flood stories and future concerns

Juneau Flood Solution Advocates hosts post-jökulhlaup debrief

Ann Lind talks about her experience with the recent glacial lake outburst flood during a Juneau Flood Solution Advocates meeting held on Aug. 21, 2025 at the Mendenhall Valley Public Library. (Ellie Ruel / Juneau Independent)

By Ellie Ruel

Juneau Independent

“Flood fatigue” and frustration at the city’s “band-aid solution” were common tenors at a Thursday evening Juneau Flood Solution Advocates meeting held in the Mendenhall Valley Public Library.

The gathering served as a listening session for 14 residents affected by this year’s record-breaking glacial lake outburst flood from Suicide Basin to swap stories and voice their frustrations about how mitigation efforts have been handled. 

Many said while the HESCO barriers installed earlier this year held back most of the floodwaters from the Mendenhall River’s 16.65-ft crest, the seepage, leaks and tree strikes they witnessed made this flood a near miss rather than a true success.

Last year’s flood that crested at 15.99 feet damaged nearly 300 homes. This year an initial assessment shows 90% of homes in the flood zone were not affected this year, according to City and Borough of Juneau officials. Six homes sustained major damage and 41 less severe impacts. Only one home with severe damage was in an area protected by HESCO barriers.

People at Thursday’s meeting said a fuller story needs to be shared with policymakers.

“Tell us what happened. Give us some insight,” said Debbie Penrose-Fischer, a leader of the flood solutions group.  “Had we all evacuated like they said, there would be no proof, there would be no photos, there would be no videos, there would be no eyewitnesses.”

JFSA orchestrated the Eyes on the River project, featuring four cameras overlooking points in the river on Killewich Drive and Meander Way. After evacuating, some residents used the livestream to track where the water level was. According to Fischer, the cameras also reduced the number of disaster tourists she dubbed “lookie-loos.”

Ann Lind was one person who chose not to evacuate her Marion Drive property, which hosts one end of the two-and-a-half-mile temporary levee. She experienced flooding beyond her yard for the first time this year due to a culvert issue, so Lind had about two feet of water in her crawlspace.

A combination of friends delivering sump pumps and her house being on helical piers saved the inside of her house from floodwaters, but she’s still not happy about the possible 10-year wait for a long-term solution.

“There's basins all the way up there, but we need to deal with this one right now,” Lind said.

Lori and Mike Stedman, who also live on Marion Drive, shared Lind’s sentiment. They saw flooding from a backed-up storm drain and barrier seepage, so the couple is looking forward to a long-term solution.

“How long are we going to last? I don't know. It's not going to be seven years, so hopefully they'll get results sooner than later,” Lori Stedman said. 

“We don't want to be dealing with this for the next 10 years, or eight years, or however long it's going to take,” Mike Stedman added.

For some, the stress of this jökulhlaup was the final straw. Michael and Cindy Dau live on Meadow Lane, and have never flooded, but more water crept onto their property this year than ever before. After spending a large sum on bank armament and experiencing what they called a terrifying night during the flood, the Daus are planning to leave Juneau altogether.

“The closer the water got, the more frightening it got,” said Cindy Dau.  “I saw trees that have given me nightmares.”

“Well, you know that one that speared the HESCO bags, it flips around. You should see it when it goes up over the bank and into the trees, flips around and tears other trees out with it. Do you think a HESCO bag is going to stop that?” Michael Dau asked.

The majority of those in attendance didn’t think so. The residents reported seeing sections of sand-filled barriers emptied, bank erosion causing the levee to tilt, near misses with trees, and water levels creeping within inches of the top of some HESCO bags. When Penrose-Fischer asked if anyone had confidence in the barriers, nobody in the room raised their hand.

“It was a lot of work we put into prepping for the flood, because I didn't trust barriers at all,” said Julie Coffin, who lives on Killewich Drive. “They're not going to work next year. I mean, the ones on Riverside Drive, I thought they were going to fall in just by looking at them.”

At an Aug. 18 Assembly meeting, City Manager Katie Koester acknowledged that this outburst flood “really demonstrated how temporary those HESCO barriers are in nature.” According to Koester, the temporary levee will require approximately $1 million in repairs including riverbank stabilization, servicing individual bags and stacking the barriers higher in some spots.

The city will pay for those repairs, which is another sticking point for JFSA members worried about the possibility of a second local improvement district (LID). The first LID charged homeowners in the flood zone $6,300 to pay for HESCO construction.

“But now, if there's issues again, are they going to come back in and say, ‘OK, now if you're going to have barriers this year, it's going to be another $6,300?’” Lind asked.

The LID established for 466 property owners in the designated flood zone makes them responsible for up to 40% of the total cost of installation and maintenance of the barriers, which are expected to be in place for up to a decade. The city is responsible for paying costs that exceed the original $7.8 million estimate, so those residents won’t be charged more than the original sum. The possibility of using a similar funding mechanism is being discussed for other areas that would be protected by an extension of the barriers.

Attendees at Thursday’s meeting largely agreed funding should go towards finding a long-term solution that protects everyone in the Valley, including View Drive, rather than spending more on more barriers they don’t have faith in. 

That’s why the JFSA leaders stated they are putting together a packet of written testimony, photos and videos from flood-affected residents to send to Alaska’s congressional delegation. The organization hopes the stories will help expedite a long-term mitigation plan from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

“We have to create a record, and we have to present something to the delegation, and we have to be the drumbeat that doesn't stop until we get a solution,” Penrose-Fischer said. “The emotional and financial and personal toll is almost indescribable.”

Those interested in sharing their flood stories with the delegation via JFSA can email info@juneaufsa.org. Residents also can self-report home damage from the flood and request individual assistance from the State of Alaska.

• Contact Ellie Ruel at ellie.ruel@juneauindependent.com.