House collapses into river as floods rage from Alaskan glacier

Major flooding near Juneau, Alaska has caused homes and debris to fall into the water after a released of water from a glacier-dammed lake. NBC News' Priscilla Thompson reports on the risk of erosion and the impact of warming temperatures on the region. 

[Mecheng]

Land erosion is real. When you live next to a moving mass of water, expect that some point in time that the house will be uninhabitable. This is the risk home owners take when trying to be near water. The home next to it will be next.

[DavidJ]

I would never buy a house anywhere near a river or levee. Because that river will eventually spill over one day, it's inevitable.

[destinationsroadslesstraveled]

I lived in this part of Alaska for many years. The coastal mountain range has less snow than ever before. But it is not uncommon for coastal glaciers to suddenly surge water down the river. Having a home near any big river you are taking a risk.

[slowridefpv]

What happened to building small homes around high risk areas, all these mansions built in areas prone to flooding and storm damage is just insane.

[KaidsTrains]

We just went out on our boat today and the amount of debris out in the ocean is crazy. We found fences, pieces of roof, and even a pencil box. The amount of logs and chunks of earth out there is terrible… I wish these people who lost their houses the best of luck for recovering from this.

[BIGGESTCRANEWIVEFAN]

I live right next to where this happend I hope the owners at safe and I’m safe the streets were flooding it was crazy! We had to
Evacuate our house. The River flooded our neighbors house. I just got back to my house and I’m safe but that’s sad the River is now really down low but that’s scary to fall in there! One of the trees broke our fence!

[johnbarnhill]

What this video doesn’t show is just how much land eroded by that house. Days ago that house was 75 feet away from the water. The Jökalhlaup that caused this as well as erosion in previous years has only been happening since 2011. Everyone saying that it’s the homeowner’s fault for living by the river is completely ridiculous.

To emphasize the point of how unprecedented this flooding was, at its peak last night the water was spilling out onto a main road 750 feet away from the river. People that don’t even live on the water have experienced major flooding. This is not the fault of the homeowners.

The condos right next to this house on the other hand, were built in the last 2-3 years and the developers are completely at fault for not building protections for it.

[soly-dp-colo]

Why do people build their house so close to the river anyway? Any river can flood at any given time. They're just looking for trouble.

[rodcoulter]

Years ago, people knew NOT to build right on a beach or river. .Build on “higher ground”….as if we have forgotten all we knew from history.

[randym]

Ouch I just felt my home insurance rates go up.

[RobertRodgers-rh]

Heartbreaking for the people who lived in that home.

[seanschisler]

Nothing like spring break up.
Mother Nature telling us who the real boss is.

[seeko]

Anybody who buys / builds near water going forward is a lunatic

[richyp]

There's a reason so many people are suddenly and unexpectedly dropping like flies. Climate change is terrifying.

[realalaskanlegends]

That is Riverside Dr, and those houses/apartments were built on silty soil at a bend in the river. If you build on a sandy river bank, what can you expect?

Glaciers recede, and the entire Mendenhall Valley is built on the historic trail of that glacier. You can really see it near the glacier park where the bedrock is exposed, and has been scraped smooth by the weight of the receding ice sheet.
It's been recession for tens of thousands of years.

[evequeen]

Vote for politicians that believe in science.

[Chryssye]

Oh, my! That beautiful home!! I sure hope the owners were able to get everything out!!

[JHNative]

Notice that pretty much every report shows this same scene here with the same house collapsing into the river. Looks like another news footage that is meant to create shock value. Though it's serious this is not the massive disaster that the media makes it out to be.

[carenmontgomery]

l am thinking about you from California...l'll never forget the incredible summer I spent in Juneau and visiting the other islands.

[mrc]

Anyone STILL think we don't need to do anything about climate change?