Evacuations in Alaska after glacial melt raises fears of record flooding

In the U.S. state of Alaska, an outburst of water from a glacial lake led to urgent evacuations on Wednesday.

Authorities have warned residents in the state capital, Juneau, that water from a basin has burst through and flooded the Mendenhall River to record levels, peaking at over 5 meters, exceeding last year's high-water mark.

The National Weather Service has issued a flood warning and urged residents in the high-risk inundation zone to evacuate immediately.

Glacial lake outbursts occur when a lake formed by the melting of snow, ice, and rain drains rapidly, much like pulling a plug from a full bathtub.

Flooding has been a recurring concern in the area since 2011, and in just one year last year, hundreds of homes were damaged.