Approximately 100 homes and businesses in Juneau, Alaska, were damaged by flooding caused by an ice dam break near the Mendenhall Glacier. The floodwaters, which peaked around 3:15 a.m. on Tuesday, led to cars floating in the streets and residents scrambling to evacuate.
The flooding occurred due to a smaller glacier retreating, leaving a basin that fills with rainwater and snowmelt each spring and summer. When the water pressure becomes sufficient, it breaches the ice dam created by the Mendenhall Glacier, flowing into Mendenhall Lake and the Mendenhall River.
