Residents in Alaska capital clean up swamped homes after an ice dam burst and unleashed a flood

Associated Press

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Residents in Alaska’s capital are clearing out waterlogged homes following an outburst of flooding from a lake dammed by the Mendenhall Glacier. Initial estimates indicate about 100 homes and some businesses were damaged by the floodwaters, which crested early Tuesday. The threat of flooding has become a perennial concern. The waters have now receded, and some residents are worried about what future flooding might look like. The flooding happens because a smaller glacier had retreated, leaving behind a basin that fills with rainwater and snowmelt When the water creates enough pressure, it forces its way under or around the ice dam created by the Mendenhall Glacier and enters Mendenhall Lake and eventually the Mendenhall River.