When the peak of the annual glacial outburst flood hit early Wednesday morning in Juneau, newly installed flood barriers stacked along the Mendenhall River largely prevented flooding of the nearby residential area.

Zaz Hollander is a veteran journalist based in the Mat-Su and is currently an ADN local news editor and reporter. She covers breaking news, the Mat-Su region, aviation and general assignments. Contact her at [email protected].

The flood reached a record-breaking crest of 16.65 feet at about 8 a.m. Wednesday. Water continues to seep into Valley neighborhoods.

Residents of Alaska capital Juneau are being urged to evacuate amid an “imminent threat of catastrophic flooding from a glacier lake outburst flood.”

An AT&T spokesperson said in an email exchange earlier this week that service disruptions were related to flooding in Juneau and a fiber cut caused by a contractor.

This year, a giant wall of reinforced sandbags erected with the help of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers held back the worst of the flooding in Juneau, to residents' great relief.

Suicide Basin, an ice-dammed lake on an arm of Mendenhall Glacier, has filled up with meltwater and sent destructive surges of water into Juneau for 3 straight summers.