A group of Juneau residents, including geologists, energy specialists, engineers, and concerned homeowners, have formed in the past few weeks to try to get the government to act on the seemingly annual disaster that is happening to neighborhoods near Juneau’s Mendenhall River, where catastrophic flooding is becoming the norm.
After a flood from an ice dam lake at the Mendenhall Glacier washed away homes in 2023, the city Assembly sat on its hands and did essentially nothing. The Assembly was too busy spending $50,0000 to lobby voters to approve a new city hall during that October’s election, instead of addressing the crisis along the river. The voters said no to the city hall, and the city did not act on the flood crisis.
The flooding was even worse in 2024, when the ice dam once again burst and hundreds of homes were inundated, impacting thousands of Juneau residents.
Juneau Flood Solution Advocates was born to tackle the issue head on. Studies don’t require federal permits, they say. The studies should already be done by now.
One of the group’s first public projects is an explanatory documentary film produced by Noah Tether that was just launched on YouTube, “Frozen Waters Unleashed.” In it, solutions are explored that have contained the flooding on the Chena River in Fairbanks, with a look at how the same solutions could be applied to the Mendenhall River.
Juneau Flood Solution Advocates is also calling for a town hall meeting in advance of the Juneau Assembly’s regular meeting on Dec. 16, which may be a decision-making meeting about more actions to protect homes and lives. The group wants the city to schedule the town hall meeting first to get the information out to the public about the decisions that may be made on Dec. 16.
“The purpose is to allow for a conversation including questions and answers about the upcoming ordinance. We are waiting for the city’s response. You can email the city, and your assembly and ask for the Juneau FSA Townhall. Many requests give power to our voice, so please consider writing to the city this weekend. We are also preparing for the public comment time at the assembly meeting on Monday, December 16th. We are looking for volunteers to speak. Can we count on you? Please let us know. Respond to [email protected] and tell us you will help,” the group advised on its website, where more information and resources can be found.
The Juneau Assembly is filled with wokesters who know their pronouns and can preach climate change but have little experience in real world problems. Millions of dollars have been squandered on statues, an electric bus that never worked (they’re buying more), a gondola that was shipped across the world and now sits on the side of a road. A new palatial city hall is more important than fixing a flood that doesn’t affect downtown.
Hey, I have an idea, don’t build a house in a known flood zone “greg”
Common sense is not so common!
B4 Flight, The homes damaged were not built in a so-called high risk flood zone A or V. These zonings indicate a 25% chance of flooding within a 30-year period. Some of the trees swept into the river were approaching 100-yrs old. There are many FEMA flood designations; these areas were not so designated. The Borough reviewed and approved applications and plans for every subdivision and issued land-use permits signed by its planning commission and officials. Furthermore, the Borough reviewed applications and plans and issued individual building permits for each and every home built. It is unreasonable to regard this matter as predictable.
You said it yourself coogan, 25% chance of flooding!
That is a one in four chance!
2 out of 8, 3 out of 12, (math & more math)
Common Sense IS not so common!
I don’t think you read my reply carefully. I said those homes WERE NOT BUILT in the risk zone mentioned. Its not math; rather, its reading comprehension. Moreover, most of those home were in no designated flood zone. You are propagating nonsense.
Most of those homes, not ALL!
Let me make it a little simpler for you there coogan.
You can turn left and take trail # 1 for food and groceries, it has a bear that will eat 25% of those who travel it OR you can turn right and take trail #2 that has no chance of being eaten by a bear.
What trail will you take?
I already know, keep turning left coogan, keep turning left!
B4 Flight, The homes damaged were not built in a so-called high risk flood zone A or V. These zonings indicate a 25% chance of flooding within a 30-year period. Some of the trees swept into the river were approaching 100-yrs old. The Borough reviewed and approved applications and plans for every subdivision and issued land-use permits signed by its planning commission and officials. Furthermore, the Borough reviewed applications and plans and issued individual building permits for each and every home built. It is unreasonable to regard this matter as predictable.
I agree Wayne.
My home wasn’t in a flood zone until this last August flood. I dont live on the river.
An L.I.D. Is supposedly to be for an improvement such as sidewalks, lights. The LID suggested now is for a short term emergency measure (Heaco Barriers) not an improvement. The barriers if successful will benefit many including important city infrastructures like the wastewater treatment plant, Brotherhood bridge, and the airport. The proposed short term solution is estimated to be at least $30 million. After seven years it will be nothing but a pile of sand. Is that intelligent or reckless spending? When a long-term possible levee cost $50 million it doesn’t seem like a wise decision to spend $30 on a short term solution. There is much to know about this accelerated push by CBJ.
Most, if not all, of the homes built in the flood area were constructed in the 60s, 70s and 80s and before the Jökulklaup threat was recognized. I lived only a few hundred feet from the 2024 flood zone. Building alongside rivers is usually risky.
Nothing to think about. Channel the river with shot rock. How long Juneau been waiting?
How long did it take Homer to get shot rock on the Homer Spit??
There’s the difference between libatard and conservative representation.
The answer is usually big rocks 😀. I agree Willy.
Finally! Common sense solution!
Congratulations! Now let’s make it happen!
Seems odd that anyone would build // construct within a flood plain. Maybe(?), as per Captain Obvious, a plausible – reasonable solution would be to build outside of this area?
Mississippi River delta is in a huge flood zone. Tulare delta is in flood zone and on and on.
We need to make sure that they don’t do anything without the EPA involvement and climate change and anything else that the liberals used to stop us. When did you used to stop them from doing anything about flood waters.
They should’ve thought about that before they voted in liberals. No work to combat the flood until 10 years of environmental studies to be done.
I thought the City & Borough had already done something by forming a Local Improvement District which is the first step in solving the problem by identifying who and how the solution will be paid for! It probably doesn’t sit well with some homeowners because, let’s face it, we all would rather have someone else pay for it.
I thought the City & Borough had already done something by forming a Local Improvement District which is the first step in solving the problem by identifying who and how the solution will be paid for! It probably doesn’t sit well with some homeowners because, let’s face it, we all would rather have someone else pay for it.
People knowingly paid a premium to live on the river. Rivers will ALWAYS flood at some point. It’s what they do.
100% AGAINST city funding to protect the investments of people who can afford homes that are $600k and up
Your commenrs show that you do not understand this last flood. Normal average valley homes were devastated. Many homes directly on the river didnt even flood this past summer. Your self only thinking isnt very broad. This is a city issue that all should care about. I would absolutely support areas in Juneau not in my neighborhood but in my city and affected by a disaster. Where is the Alaska spirit of ingenuity, determination and committed support for one another?
Hum seems we got a real-life 3 little pigs’ situation…build a stick house right next to a river and it gets washed away with a flash flood, build a stick house in a flood plain and its flooded and cost thousands for recovery or build a concrete foundation home away from a river and out of a flood plain and the home is never impacted by flood waters. The homeowners took the chance to resist mother nature, so that’s on them
Have u-all seen what happened to the elevated block homes in North Carolina…. all down-river from dam-created lakes (homes that were build long before the damned lakes were built)? Lots of common-sense planning did no good when the water was released from those dams… the rivers nearby not only filled to over-flowing but widened & crawled up the sides of the hills above the rivers; trying to keep their children from being washed away in the horrific flooding, parents resorted to securing them to trees … mostly that didn’t work either as the trees were torn from the banks & washed away w/the children; You know sometimes all the best laid plans don’t work so u have to resort to last minute measusres to save yourself & family.
As I understand it, Juneau is flat-land challenged so many decisions didn’t work; that doesn’t mean the lucky-rest-of-us should stand by & do nothing.
This is an old problem. Morons build in places that they shouldn’t. Then the inevitable flood happens. Then the moron crybabies want to use our tax dollars for a bailout.
Worst example is New Orleans- many feet below sea level. Government comes in to bail out the fools who built below sea level. But for the government bailouts, no one would build in these places because no private company would issue homeowners insurance.
While I feel for these residents (really, I do). They voted for this city government that won’t act, or won’t act swiftly enough. Anchorage: we’re next.
It is so disaoointing read all the disparaging comments by the ignorant and obnoxious posters here. W. Coogan is correct. reveiew the facts;
1 When the valley was developed, no one had any indication that apocaliytic flooding would ever occur.
2 The trees are actually 200+ year old trees where homes were flooded.
3 Some of the homes were well over 150′ from the river and were washed away in one flood.
4 The latest flood innundated homes blocks from the river and it was not projected.
5 Mendenhall Vally is having 1000 year floods every year now.
6 Repeated flooding and loss of homes will force people to leave town and devastate the economy.
7 For all that have no sympathy, just wait till you suffer a disaster and then see how you feel.
I own multiple properties with none of them in the valley but if we have to issue a GO bond to save our community I will vote for it.
Anchorage is sitting on a blue clay bed. At some point the entire mess will slide into Cook Inlet and all you will see is the top of the captain cook hotel. Quite a bit of shoreline slid in 64. If I were an anchorage ite I wouldn’t be to quick to flap my jaws. You are all built on 2 earthquake faults on a peninsula with very little escape route. Now who in their right mind would build there.?
Not to mention the potential mass wildfire that may wipe out our hillside homes one day.
And if those fires start to run along our 2, cross city, “greenbelts” the damage will be much worse.
I’d like to plug the Juneau Flood Solution Advocates website too.
‘https://www.juneaufsa.org
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