Water began draining Monday from Suicide Basin into Mendenhall River, but officials don’t yet know if it will cause flooding.
City Emergency Programs Manager Tom Mattice said residents who live along the Mendenhall River should be on alert in case water levels suddenly begin to rise.
“There’s as much water or more as there was in 2016, so if this turns into a traditional jökulhlaup we could see record flooding,” Mattice said.
“Jökulhlaup” is an Icelandic term for a flood from a glacial burst.
The U.S. Geological Survey and the National Weather Service are monitoring water levels in Mendenhall Lake and the Mendenhall River. So far, no significant rise has been recorded.
Glacial flooding in the Mendenhall area has become a routine summer occurrence the last few years.
Nico Bus lives along the Mendenhall River in a neighborhood where many backyards have seen a significant increase in erosion. He said they keep an eye out for flooding, but there’s not much else they can do.
“Sometimes, like last year, I think it was five times. Some of them are insignificant and you’re just waiting for the big one,” Bus said.
In June, researchers reported that the basin was draining rapidly, which usually signals the start of flooding. They later found that a glacial calving event likely caused water levels to rise suddenly.
Mattice said residents should exercise caution.
“Obviously it’s starting as a slow event and it could stay that way we just really don’t know,” Mattice said.
Residents can monitor water levels on the National Weather Service’s website.
Here’s video of water from Suicide Basin flowing into Mendenhall Lake on Monday.
https://www.facebook.com/CapitalCityFireRescue/videos/897949680407597/?notif_id=1531852848764971¬if_t=notify_me_page
