Alaska Declares Disaster Emergency Due to Flooding Caused by Ice Jam in Manley Hot Springs

Manley Hot Springs in Alaska has been experiencing severe flooding over recent days due to an ice jam along the Tanana River downstream.

The natural calamity prompted the Alaskan state government to declare a disaster emergency.

There were no immediate reports of casualties from the floods.

With dozens of residents evacuated to higher grounds and also a flood warning currently in place, the ongoing flooding is reportedly one of the worst natural calamities of its kind seen in the area over recent decades.

Disaster Emergency

Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy, in his Twitter post on the evening of Saturday, May 7, declared a disaster emergency for the Yukon Koyukuk Regional Education Attendance Area (REAA) due to the ice jam flooding affecting Manley Hot Springs.

Under the declaration, all State of Alaska agencies are required to respond to emergency needs concerning the event.

Furthermore, the declaration also allowed local authorities to impose strict measures, including evacuations, and receive state resources as support to the natural disaster.

In addition, the tweet also indicated that the Emergency Operation Center has been activated, to allow localized rescue, recovery, and assistance for residents affected by the flooding in the Manley Hot Springs.

The disaster emergency will take effect until further notice.

What is an Ice Jam?

Also called an ice dam, an ice jam occurs when "chunks of ice" cluster together and result in the blockage of a river flow.

It is initially caused by the melting of ice and snow during springtime, leading to the overflow of water levels along rivers and flooding nearby communities, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Moreover, warm temperatures and so-called "spring rains" cause the rapid melting of ice and snow, and even makes frozen rivers and streams swell up.

The US agency explained that an ice dam's most affected part is the narrow passage of the river since the downstream carries large chunks of ice, which causes the river blockage.

Furthermore, ice jams can reportedly occur anywhere with a winter season cold enough to freeze rivers.

In the US alone, this natural phenomenon occurs in Alaska, the Midwest, and the Northeast, said the NOAA.

Flood Warning and Power Outage

Power supply has been shut down in Manley Hot Springs and floodwaters have already spread throughout the village, according to Craig Eckert, the program leader of the Fairbanks National Weather Service Observation Program, as cited by local media agency Alaska's News Source.

Eckert said that the locals claimed this flooding is the highest water level they have seen in 45 years.

It was even bigger than the flooding of 2012 and is next to the flooding in 1956.

Due to the magnitude and threat posed by the ice jam flooding, NOAA's National Weather Service (NWS) made a special weather statement, where it issued an extended flood warning until 6:00 p.m. AKDT (local time) on Monday, May 9.

The NOAA - NWS issued its first flood warning for Manley Hot Springs until 6:00 p.m. AKDT (local time) on Sunday, May 8.