Juneau glacier flooding leaves residents looking for long-term solutions [Video]

The Mendenhall Glacier, seen in the distance, feeds the Mendenhall River which winds through residential and business areas of Juneau on August 8, 2024. (Marc Lester / ADN)

JUNEAU — Floodwaters from the Mendenhall River rushed under Sam and Amanda Hatch’s home last August at then record-levels. After the water receded, their house sank several inches into the saturated soil, shifting its foundations.

As they rebuilt, the Hatch family decided to elevate their house by four feet on piers to avoid flooding in the future. Scraping together deals and favors, Sam Hatch said the whole process cost around $135,000. It was completed a month ago, he said.

Just in time.

For a second straight year, a massive basin to the side of the Mendenhall Glacier burst last week, sending billions of gallons of water rushing downstream. Hundreds of houses were inundated, causing significant damage. But not the Hatch home.

“We’re glad we did it, and it fixed a lot of problems for us,” Sam Hatch …