Joint force effort helped ease burden left behind in Juneau flooding

JUNEAU, Alaska (KTUU) - After the state’s capital city experienced record-breaking flooding in early August, homes and roads along Juneau’s Mendenhall River were left under several feet of water.

The flood was caused by a large outburst from Mendenhall Glacier’s Suicide Basin, According to official records, the Mendenhall River crested at 15.99 feet in the early morning of Aug. 6, as historic flooding led to closures of several public facilities and power outages.

Shortly following the river’s crest, the waters began to recede, revealing the damage left in its wake. Damage so widespread it prompted the mobilization of state resources from the Alaska Organized Militia (AKOM) — including the Alaska Air and Army National Guard, the Alaska Naval Militia, and the Alaska State Defense Force.

For activated Alaska Army National Guardsman Pfc. Robert Brian, the mobilization hit close to home.

“I’m from Juneau ... and it has been a huge impact on our community with the flooding,” Brian said. “It has affected, from what I’ve heard, over 600 households and there has been extensive water damage to lots of homes.”

Brian worked on the street crew during the mobilization, loading and removing debris from flooded homes. At times, he said, he felt like it was never-ending.

“There’s just piles and piles of debris just coming out of these homes,” Brian said. “You work your way down one end of the street, just so you can turn around to come back and it looked like the piles were, you know, were never even picked up.”

While the job seemed relentless at times, Brian said it was rewarding to be in a position to help his own community and was grateful to see so many people from different entities respond to what Gov. Mike Dunleavy declared a disaster emergency.

This was the first disaster Chief Warrant Officer 2 Chris Dirth, a member of the Alaska Naval Militia, has ever responded to.

“I didn’t realize Juneau flooded the way that it does,” Dirth admitted. “As soon as I saw it and was asked for volunteers, I immediately volunteered so I could get down there to help out.”

Dirth was impressed by the support the military responders received from Juneau residents, saying people would come out of their homes to say thank you or honk and wave as they drove by recovery efforts.

AKOM members worked tirelessly for nearly two weeks following the flood, loading up thousands of pounds of debris — including furniture, wallboard, and metal scraps — before hauling it out of the neighborhoods.

A total of 63 members aided in recovery efforts, which included clean-up efforts, supply delivery, debris removal, and public information support to the city and borough’s Emergency Operation Center. The final members were demobilized on Aug. 23.

Brian said witnessing the response made him proud to wear the uniform in support of his hometown.

“It’s a feeling of accomplishment and relief at the end of the day,” Brian said. “That we’ve taken so much out of these homes and taken such a huge burden off of our community.”

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