Mansion collapses into Alaska River after a rupture in the Mendenhall Glacier’s ‘Suicide Basin’ caused extreme flooding
- The immaculate white house was pulled into the roaring waters of the Mendenhall River in Juneau on Saturday during devastating flooding
- Dramatic video shows how the land around the house eroded rapidly over a period of about six hours before the building collapsed
- The Mendenhall River flooded on Saturday following a major release from Suicide Basin
A mansion collapsed into an Alaskan river and was swept away after millions of gallons of water were released from a glacier-dammed lake.
The immaculate white home was pulled into the roaring waters of Juneau’s Mendenhall River during devastating floods on Saturday.
The land around the building had eroded rapidly over a period of about six hours before it could no longer hold. It only took seconds for the building to completely rip apart as it tumbled into the water.
At least two buildings were destroyed and residents of other high-risk properties were evacuated during the incident.
The Mendenhall River flooded Saturday due to a large release from Suicide Basin over Alaska’s capital, a press release from the City and Borough of Juneau said Sunday.
The land around the house eroded rapidly for several hours before the building was no longer supported and dragged into the water
It only took seconds for the house to collapse into the water during Saturday’s heavy flooding
The water level on Mendenhall Glacier, near Juneau, had reached an all-time high on Saturday night
Videos posted to social media showed towering trees along the riverbank being initially pulled into the rushing water. As the bank continued to sink for several hours, the house, teetering on the edge, collapsed into the river.
River levels began to drop on Sunday, but the city said the river’s banks remained highly unstable. Some roads were blocked by sludge and debris from the flood, it said.
Such glacial outbursts occur when glaciers melt and pour massive amounts of water into nearby lakes.
A study published earlier this year found that such floods pose a risk to 15 million people around the world, more than half of them in India, Pakistan, Peru and China.
Suicide Basin has discharged water that has caused flooding along Mendenhall Lake and the Mendenhall River since 2011, according to the National Weather Service.
However, the maximum water level in the lake on Saturday night surpassed the previous record flood level of July 2016, the weather service reported.
At least two houses were completely destroyed by the flooding and many more had to be evacuated
People pause on a bridge over the swollen Mendenhall River in Juneau, Alaska, on Sunday, August 6, 2023, for a closer look or photos after a glacial dam burst earlier over the weekend, causing flooding along the river and Mendenhall Lake
A home overhangs the edge of an eroded riverbank after part of the neighboring home fell into the Mendenhall River in Juneau, Alaska on Sunday, August 6, 2023
City officials remove a tree next to the bridge over the Mendenhall River due to unstable ground caused by record river flooding on Sunday, August 6, 2023 in Juneau, Alaska
Weather experts had predicted only a one percent chance of the flood. “We didn’t even think this was possible,” said National Weather Service Juneau hydrologist Aaron Jacobs.
Witness Sam Nolan, who filmed the moment the house fell into the water, said, “It was really sad to see, but all we could do was stand by and watch.”
Robert Barr, deputy city manager for the City of Jeneau, said: “We still have teams in the field. At the moment we are, among other things, visiting homes and assessing whether or not they are habitable.’
A fundraiser has been launched for a family living next to the mansion that was swept away after their home was also left uninhabitable. The Dorsey family were also told their insurance would not cover the damage after their unit was damaged in an apartment building.