The flooding is caused by the retreat of smaller glaciers near Mendenhall Glacier, a result of global warming that creates a basin filled with rain and melting snow each spring and summer. When the water pressure is strong enough, it can seep under or around the ice dams formed by Mendenhall Glacier and flow into Mendenhall Lake and eventually the Mendenhall River.
Since 2011, this phenomenon has also led to flooding of roads and homes near lakes and rivers. Last year’s floods engulfed large areas, causing riverbanks to collapse, homes to be flooded, and at least one house to be submerged in the swiftly moving waters.
Authorities indicated that the extent of this week’s flooding was unprecedented, leaving residents distressed as they attempted to salvage furniture, books, and other possessions in the midst of warm, sunny weather. Debris such as garbage bags, wood, boxes, wet insulation, carpets, and other items were stacked along road curbs on Wednesday. Street sweepers were busy clearing the muddy aftermath left by the receded water.
Eran Hood, an environmental science professor at the University of Alaska Southeast who has spent years studying Mendenhall Glacier, mentioned that while the basin was created by glacier retreat, climate change has minimal impact on the annual fluctuations in flood levels in Juneau.
A family is rescued from flooding on the Mendenhall River in Juneau, Alaska, on August 6.Sean Maguire/Anchorage Daily News via The Associated Press
He expressed, “It’s evident that these floods will persist over several decades, but predicting the size of future floods is challenging without more precise glacier dynamics modeling, due to numerous factors that influence their magnitude.”
Hood mentioned that at some point, Mendenhall Glacier will shrink and become too thin to act as a barrier.
The flooding serves as a stark reminder of the global hazards posed by failures of snow and ice dams, a concept known as jokulhlaup, which is relatively unfamiliar in the United States. Threatening approximately 15 million people around the world.
Residents remove wet drywall and insulation from the first floor of a home after the Mendenhall River flooded in Juneau, Alaska, on August 6.Mark Lester/nchorage Daily News via The Associated Press
Juneau, a city with about 30,000 inhabitants in southeast Alaska, can only be accessed by plane or boat. Despite peak tourist season, the city is currently facing a housing shortage that could limit temporary accommodations for flood victims. Rental car options in Juneau are also limited for those whose vehicles were affected by the flooding.
Authorities reported that the Mendenhall River hit a new record high of 15.99 feet (4.9 meters), approximately a foot higher than last year’s floods, and the water extended further into Mendenhall Canyon. Some homes beyond flood-prone areas were reached by the water, and the canyon is situated about a 15-20 minute drive from downtown Juneau.
Alyssa Fisher shared that she didn’t anticipate flooding in her area when she went to bed on Monday night. However, her father woke her up over FaceTime a few hours later to inform her of rising water levels outside. She moved his car to higher ground, grabbed essential items, and relocated to a local school shelter with her two children, ages 4 and 8, along with their pets. She noticed that the truck’s license plate had been bent by the floodwaters.
The partial dam failure occurred after three days of heavy rainfall that caused the Minnesota River to reach its third-highest flood level since at least 1881. Brennan Dettman, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in the Twin Cities, Minnesota, provided this information.
In the Mankato area, where the dam is situated, 7 to 8 inches of rain fell over the span of three days. Based on analysis by Kenny Blumenfeld, Senior Climatologist at the Minnesota Climate Division, the situation was dire. Blumenfeld’s analysis indicated that this level of heavy rain occurs approximately 0.5 to 2 percent of the time each year in southern Minnesota.
Bill McCormick, who headed Colorado’s dam safety program from 2011 to 2021, highlighted how extreme rainfall events are putting dams across the country under strain. “We are experiencing increasingly severe storms that are testing our aging infrastructure. Dams and spillways that previously didn’t face many storms annually are now encountering more frequent storms,” he noted. “These aging systems are facing heightened challenges.”
McCormick also pointed out that development in residential areas near dams has increased the risk factors, as people now live in regions previously designated for farmland. Dams constructed to protect agricultural areas are now safeguarding residential neighborhoods.
Hiba Baroud, an assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at Vanderbilt University, emphasized the need for lawmakers to take proactive measures in strengthening dam infrastructure and prioritizing repairs following incidents like the partial failure of the Rapidan Dam. “To prevent such occurrences, it is essential to proactively assess all dams in the U.S., prepare for potential scenarios, and prioritize necessary repairs or upgrades,” she urged. “Simply reacting to major events as wake-up calls concerning specific dams is not sufficient.”
WWho is behind the most notorious ‘deepfake’ apps on the internet? The Guardian’s new podcast series ‘Black Box’ has been trying to answer that question for months now, as we explore a hall of mirrors. It was like wandering.
The app, ClothOff, has hundreds of thousands of followers and has already been used to generate dozens of images of underage girls in at least two cases. The photos have traumatized the girls, outraged their parents and left police at a loss as to how to stop it.
Producers Josh Kelly, Alex Atack and I followed Cross-Off’s footsteps to a nondescript, seemingly vacant address in central London. We’ve encountered fake businesses, distorted voices, and fake employee photos.
This was a frightening insight into the future we’re all heading into in our careers. In the age of artificial intelligence, is everything you see and hear on your screen real?
The search for ClothOff is just one story to tell about the times we live in. We’re in the first few years of AI infiltrating our lives, but it’s not yet deep enough that we can’t remember what life used to be.
We wanted to take a snapshot of this moment in time to explore the impact AI is already having on the world and look for clues about what’s to come. We met the scientists who pioneered AI software until they dramatically turned against it last year. We’ve heard stories of people reminiscing about their first dates with their boyfriends (smartphone chatbots), and stories of heartbreaks when the same lover turned cold due to system girlfriend updates. Ta.
We’ve been hearing about the prospect of AI systems that can detect cancer years before doctors and machines could offer desperate people what no one else has: humanity.
Everywhere we go, we encounter an even bigger mystery: people using AI. What has fascinated us again and again is the way in which we are already reshaping what it means to be human in a series about artificial intelligence that is not just about technology, but actually about us.
michael safi Presenters, today’s highlights
This week’s picks
Ash Sarkar, one of the hosts of If I Speak. Photo: Antonio Olmos/Observer
Hear Me Out Wide range of weekly episodes available Get to know some of the dramatic talents of multiple stars in this chatty theater podcast from actor Lucy Eaton. They each choose their favorite speech and act it out in a private chat, giving it a Desert Island Disc feel for the stage. In the first episode of the new series, hear Mark Gatiss perform Hamlet’s “Longing” and “Rage” “Speech the Speech” soliloquy from Jack Thorne’s Motives and Clues. Alexi Duggins
dead river Wide range of weekly episodes available This alarming story focuses on one of the most devastating environmental catastrophes in history: the 2015 Mariana Dam disaster in Brazil. The disaster led to the largest class action lawsuit in British history involving 700,000 claimants. It’s an emotional and worrying listen, packed with music that tugs at your heartstrings as you hear locals talk about their fears that the dam is sick. advertisement
The Blame of Fame: Milli Vanilli Wide range of weekly episodes available You may already know the story of Rob Pilatus and Fab Morvern, but Insecure’s Amanda Seales brings you the inside story in this fun podcast. When German producer Frank Farian asks the tight-trousered pop duo to make a deal with the devil, they are exposed as impostors, leading to exploitation and tragedy. Hannah Verdier
Time Capsule: Silver Chain Wide range of weekly episodes available The 1970s swing scene is the stuff of myth and legend, so when Paul Ditty heard that the secret club Silver Chain had kept a stash of newsletters in a safe deposit box, he couldn’t resist investigating. His brilliant unraveling of the mysterious Minnesota club begins with a simple question. How did they find the time to swap partners? HV
if i speak Wide range of weekly episodes available Novara Media journalists Ash Sarkar (above) and Moya Lothian-McLean have questions on their minds, including “Can I really be friends with my boss?” and “Are dating apps dead?” By grappling with questions, he swaps politics with personal (of sorts) issues. “Should I give my mom some money?” As Sarkar says, this is “the place where we can reveal our most free and nosy selves without judgment.” Holly Richardson
There’s a podcast for that
Comedian Paul Sinha hosts new podcast Pub Quiz. Photo: Martin Godwin/The Guardian
this week, robin winter choose the best five Comedy podcasts that actually teach you somethingfrom comedy quizzes with Chase star Paul Sinha to investigating urban legends in black culture.
Do Go On It’s surprising how little-known this Australian podcast is despite its longevity. Hosted by incredibly likeable Melbourne comedians Matt Stewart, Jess Perkins and Dave Warneke, each week one of them chooses a topic to report on. Recent episodes include History of Monopoly, Pirate Queen of Ireland, Eurovision, and more. Unlike many other long-running podcasts (Do Go On is entering its ninth year), the inside jokes are easy to follow and there’s a genuine, contagious enthusiasm from the trio.Rare podcasts that will make you laugh out loud and Full of fascinating stories.
Paul Sinha’s Perfect Pub Quiz The Chase’s Paul Sinha is also a popular touring comedian and combines these pursuits in this clever BBC Radio 4 podcast. If you can imagine him doing his set of tight 20-minute stand-up encyclopedias, you’ll be able to get pretty close to this vibrant show. In series two, Sinha takes his trivia skills to different parts of the country, testing Ipswich residents on their most famous politicians and Manchester’s tallest buildings. However, there is not much time to think, so the listener needs to respond quickly.
mom taught me Comedians Langston Carman and David Goboly explore black conspiracy theories, superstitions, urban legends, and, in their words, “the old lady’s story that your uncle told you about who wore jeans to the beach.” Dive deep into the world of “public pool. They often have hilarious guests to discuss reader suggestions. After almost 300 episodes, there’s no sign of running out of material.
big flop With only a handful of episodes to date, The Big Flop explores everything from the laughably bad movie Cats to the banned Four Loko, an alcoholic energy drink invented by a bunch of frazzled boys. It’s a show that focuses on events that didn’t go well. Hosted by actor, singer, and TikTok star Misha Brown, it was produced by pod giant Wonderly. Two weekly guests (mostly American stand-ups and performers) bring freshness to each episode, and thanks to an experienced behind-the-scenes team, it’s well-researched and well-produced.
That’s not true fish If you love comedy podcasts, you’ll be spoiled for choice with No Such Thing As a Fish, created by the writers of the long-running BBC quiz show QI. The authors started the podcast in 2014 after discovering interesting facts that weren’t aired during their research. Now his 500-episode podcast is the granddaddy of the genre, unapologetically nerdy but beautifully accessible even for non-Oxbridge fans. Winner of many well-deserved awards and published as a book, No Such Thing As a Fish is a must-listen for anyone looking for quirky facts to share at the pub table.
Why not try it…
In an 8-part series show on the streetcelebrities are taken out of the studio and presenter and veteran podcaster Alex Lugui takes the driver’s seat as they embark on a personal road trip through the places that shaped them.
just jack and will is the ultimate Will & Grace rewatch podcast with Sean Hayes and Eric McCormack.
Who is a good person? So who is the bad guy? alphabet boys Revealing secret investigations by the FBI, DEA, ATF, and other three-letter agencies in the United States.
This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
Strictly Necessary Cookies
Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.
