‘What a difference a year makes’
Published 10:30 pm Thursday, August 14, 2025
In the aftermath of Juneau’s 2025 glacier lake outburst flood, the community has begun to mobilize to help affected residents and prepare for next year’s expected release, as well as the potential for a smaller, less severe release this fall.
U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Stan Fields said during a press conference Friday morning that it’s been “truly special” to see the collaboration between local, state, and national disaster response.
“This is what we would term ‘a wicked problem,’” Fields said. “The federal government is not going to be able to solve it on its own. The state government will not be able to solve it on its own. The city will not be able to solve it on its own, and the tribe will not be able to solve it on its own. But together, we can overcome this challenge, short-term and long-term.”
Mayor Beth Wheldon said it was a relief to see the community response to the annual event and that plans are already underway to prepare for next year’s flood.
“What a difference a year makes,” she said. “There’s a lot of relief just driving around and instead of people depressed, sad … you saw people mowing their lawns, walking their dogs, kids playing, even a few kids playing in the puddles that were left over.”
After completing damage assessment this week, Ryan O’Shaughnessy, emergency programs manager with the City and Borough of Juneau, said 753 homes reported no damage from the flood, with six reporting major damage, 25 reporting minor damage, and 16 reporting affected damage, with 46 homes unverified. The term “affected damage” refers to a small amount of water in a garage or crawl space, although not enough to require removal of materials. It is considered the least severe category of damage assessment.
Nicole Ferrin, meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said that during the flood event, the Suicide Basin monitoring page was the sixth most viewed website out of all NOAA websites, with more than half a million page visits since the initial overtopping of the basin on Sunday, Aug. 10.
Sabrina Grubitz, Tlingit & Haida public safety manager, said debris pickup will begin on Monday, to allow coordination to be set up over the weekend and allow residents time to adjust and assess their residences. She said individual assistance from the State of Alaska opened up for affected residents on Thursday and can be accessed by calling 1-844-445-7131 or visiting ready.alaska.gov online. The closing deadline for applications for individual assistance is Oct. 14.
United Way of Southeast Alaska has set up an incident command post at Melvin Park, 4098 Riverside Drive. You can visit to receive resources, including supplies and tips on how to clean up.
People in need of assistance can find more information online at juneau.org/emergency/flood-recovery. To volunteer or request help through United Way, visit www.unitedwayseak.org/2025-flood-relief.
Those in need of mental health support due to the flooding can access the Disaster Distress Helpline 24/7. To be connected with a crisis counselor, you can call or text 1-800-985-5990.
