The City and Borough of Juneau lifted the evacuation advisory for Behrends slide path Wednesday morning. No avalanche evacuation notices are in place.
No avalanches were detected overnight Tuesday, despite the heavy wind, rain, and warmer temperatures. Forecasters flew Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities drones to inspect the Behrends path Wednesday morning.
“The fact that upper start zones were saturated with rain last night and did not release, combined with the reduced snow levels at lower elevation, has brought the risk back to a level acceptable to lift the evacuation advisory for now,” said a 10 a.m. CBJ alert.
CBJ lifted evacuation advisories for all paths except Behrends on Sunday, anticipating a peak in avalanche risk for Behrends between Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.
They first issued the evacuation notice for downtown residents in known slide paths on Friday, Jan. 9, as heavy rainfall brought about concerns of a triggering large avalanche.
DOT&PF also opened Thane Road Wednesday morning.
Although evacuation advisories have been lifted, CBJ says that the conditions are still subject to change.
“Residents are reminded to stay alert and be prepared to act if conditions change,” the CBJ alert said.
Juneauites can monitor the current hazard and stay informed by visiting the CBJ emergency advisory site and signing up for emergency alerts.
